Housing Ministry aims to process 8,000-10,000 land titles this year
-Baksh
Stabroek News
April 17, 2003
The Housing Ministry is expected to process between 8,000 and 10,000 land titles this year, compared to 7,474 titles processed last year.
This was disclosed by Minister of Housing and Water, Shaik Baksh, when he addressed the National Assembly during the 2003 Budget debate held at the Ocean View Convention Centre, Liliendaal.
For last year too, Baksh noted, 4,195 house lots were distributed in Regions One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and Ten.
The Housing and Water Minister also indicated that his ministry intends to complete regularising all squatter settlements by the end of 2004.
And during this year, Baksh said, a special department is to be set up, which will have a Registrar of Lands. This will eliminate some of the bureaucracy persons experience when seeking to process land titles.
Meanwhile, the National Water Council is to be set up this year and regulation of tariffs will come under the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Baksh stated.
According to the Minister, government is paying special attention to the social sectors, such as housing and water.
“Government is creating wealth by giving out land, of which the value will be increased with the addition of the basic facilities such as roads and water,” he said.
Baksh said that 134 homes were built last year using the Revolving Housing Fund. It is the intention of the ministry, he noted, to continue this development through the fund at a faster rate.
He announced too that there was an 18 percent increase in mortgages last year.
Ten developers who work in tandem with the Ministry are building houses for persons who have acquired land, Baksh said, adding that a quality control programme is in place to monitor the homes being built.
