The government has completed the processing of more than 8,500 land titles during its first year in office, as efforts continue to expand land ownership and regularise communities across the country.
Minister of Housing Collin Croal told the Department of Public Information (DPI) in a recent interview that the figure is expected to surpass 10,000 as the government continues its land regularisation programme.
“We have completed over 8,500 in this period. We will pass the 10,000 mark there, you know, in no time,” the housing minister said.
The land regularisation programme is targeting more than 21 areas, including communities where residents have occupied lands for years or even decades without formal ownership.
Minister Croal said the initiative is intended to give residents greater security and the ability to legally pass their property on to their families.
“Persons who are living for years, decades, and they don’t have ownership… they have the challenge of where, who’s going to inherit,” he said.
The minister explained that the government is working with the relevant agencies to facilitate land transfers and regularise communities, while also addressing areas where residents are occupying reserves or unregulated lands.
He said the process involves surveying, planning and legal procedures before residents can receive formal ownership documents.
Minister Croal said the government’s broader housing programme is designed to tackle the backlog while simultaneously regularising existing communities and developing new housing areas.
The minister has committed to continued progress in land ownership over the next five years, with the government aiming to significantly reduce squatting and ensure more Guyanese can own the land on which they live.