President Irfaan Ali joined the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission at Timehri today to distribute over 400 land leases to the residents of Base Road Timehri, Swan Turn, Kuru Kururu and Banakari (Long Creek). 

In his address to the residents who turned up to uplift their leases, he explained that although the issue of regularizing the areas was both complex and technical, the Government took up the challenge to bring “normalcy” to the communities in keeping with the laws of the country. 

He said the move called for major investment on both sides. 

“To invest in order to give you good infrastructure, take up the value of your lands, give you ownership, increase your net worth and your net value, it requires all of us working together, and it requires an understanding from everyone that we have to give up the disorganize and embrace the organize. And giving up the disorganize, sometimes I know, it can be something that is painful, something that if you are living or squatting in an area for 30, 40 years, you get accustom to that area, but that is not the way, we want your life to evolve because we can’t give you ownership, you can’t take it to the bank, we can’t put the infrastructure in, we can’t increase our value, and you are not deriving the full potential of that piece of land,” President Ali reasoned. 

He said now with their leases in hand, the residents of Base Road Timehri, Swan Turn, Kuru Kururu and Banakari can now approach the commercial banks for mortgages to upgrade their homes. 

It was explained that the demand for land, particularly on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway, is extremely high, and with the ongoing developments in the area, the value of lands and properties along that corridor will increase.

“In the last three years alone, we have received more than 15,000 applications for land on the highway, more than 15,000. This is unprecedented, and the highway is going to have a number of development initiatives that is coming to you, that will further enhance this value. For example, the third phase of the Mandela Road is now at the stage of evaluation, and that will bring the four-lane road up to Land of Canaan, and we are already securing financing to take that road from Land of Canaan to the Linden/Soesdyke Highway,” the President explained. 

Meanwhile, Commissioner of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, Enrique Monize explained that some of the lands at Base Road Timehri, previously owned by the Ministry of Agriculture, were regularized in 2020.

Since then, the Lands and Surveys Commission has been accepting applications for lands in the areas. However, the Commissioner said the number of applications submitted is extremely low.  

“One of the things I would like to highlight though, is that there have been a very low number of applications. And it tells us, that we still have persons who seem to be contended to continue how they are. In fact, sometimes, the only time we see people, is if they come in and they ask us, can I have a letter to go to GPL, can I have a letter to go to GWI or somewhere, and we are not doing those letters anymore. This area is a regularized area and you have to file an application, get a lease, and you take the lease into the companies, you get your service,” Commissioner Monize explained.

He said another issue surrounds the number of buildings constructed on a single plot. The Commissioner said in one instance, one plot of land had a total of 25 buildings, which were being rented. 

He said additionally, lands with disputes are engaging the legal team of the Commission, and in some cases the Court.

At Swan Turn, where 152 persons were displaced after a private land developer secured an eviction notice from the court, Commissioner Monize said steps have been taken to develop an additional 206 lots to accommodate the displaced persons.

Some 117 applications were submitted to the Commission with 104 leases signed at the time of the meeting today.

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