Government is intensifying efforts to secure additional lands for housing, with Ministers Collin Croal and Vanessa Benn engaging the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) on the transfer of state lands to support ongoing programmes.The meeting, held on Wednesday at the Ministry’s boardroom and led by NICIL Chairman Radha Krishna Sharma, focused on making lands under NICIL’s control available for housing development, while also addressing the regularisation of informal settlements located on those properties.Senior officials, including Permanent Secretary Bishram Kuppen, Chief Development Planner Germene Stewart, and Head of the Corporate Legal Secretariat Haniffah Jordan, were also part of the discussions.The move comes as the government continues to grapple with a significant demand for house lots. Housing Minister Croal had previously revealed that while more than 53,000 allocations have already been made, over 78,000 applications remain pending.To tackle this backlog, the Ministry has been working closely with multiple state agencies to identify and acquire lands nationwide.“…we are continuously working to find land [and] to engage with our partners… to be able to acquire additional lands to address these backlogs,” Croal had said, referencing collaboration with agencies such as the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission, NICIL, GuySuCo, and the MMA authority.Officials explained that Region Four accounts for the bulk of the demand, with more than 52,000 pending applications, making it the most challenging area to clear.The government has already surpassed its previous target of distributing 50,000 house lots and is now shifting focus toward construction, amid growing public demand for completed homes.President Dr Irfaan Ali had noted that many applicants are no longer seeking land alone but are asking for assistance to build, citing the challenges of sourcing materials, managing contractors, and the time required to complete homes.In response, the administration has set a target of constructing 40,000 houses in its current term, about 8,000 annually. To accelerate delivery, the Housing Ministry has expanded its contractor pool, moving beyond local builders to include firms from across the Caribbean.Authorities say the engagement with NICIL is a key step in unlocking additional lands to meet demand, while advancing a broader plan to deliver both house lots and turnkey homes across the country.
POLITICS
