Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday addressed the issue of house lot allocations, emphasizing that only those individuals who applied before 2020 are currently being assigned lots, with exceptions for special circumstances. Persons who submitted applications after 2020, he stated, will experience a longer wait period.
Jagdeo was at the time sternly responding to allegations of corruption in the sale and allocation of house lots, urging accusers to formally report such claims to the police. He clarified, “People can obtain house lots immediately if they applied before the year 2019,” emphasizing the necessity to avoid making payments to anyone and directing applicants to the Ministry of Housing.
Highlighting the administration’s commitment to delivering 50,000 house lots by the end of its first term, Jagdeo disclosed that 30,000 allocations have been completed thus far. He called for transparency, urging the public disclosure of information regarding illegal payments for house lots, with a willingness to use social media for such revelations.
In response to corruption allegations, Jagdeo asserted that culprits, if any, are likely external to the Ministry of Housing and Water. He encouraged individuals with information about scams to report directly to the police or share it on social media.
“Any information about scammers—go report it to police. Don’t even go to the ministry, carry it to the police or put it on social media if you are sure about it. We don’t have a problem with that,” he asserted.
Earlier today, Bishram Kuppen, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Water, affirmed the ministry’s commitment to maintaining integrity in its operations and more specifically house lot allocations.
In a statement released to the public, he encouraged those with evidence of corruption to report it promptly to the Guyana Police Force, assuring confidentiality and thorough internal investigations into any legitimate reports of misconduct within the ministry.
