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Dec 19, 2018 News
Land rates are subject to increases in 2019 as the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC) moves to open up some 6000 acres of State lands for commercial and other use.
This disclosure was made by Commissioner of GL&SC Trevor Benn during a year end press conference held at the entity’s D’Urban Backlands, Georgetown headquarters on Monday.
Giving an overview of the GL&SC operations, Commissioner Benn noted that steps will be taken to increase the rates and develop a number of programmes so as to provide revenue which will help offset the expenses of the Surveys Unit in the new year.
“We have not had rent increases for over the last 15 years to be exact, since [2001], when the Commission came into being. So people are still paying very menial rates… our maps, which are in use at the moment, were done back in the 1960s/1970s.
“For example, for an agriculture lot it is $100 per acre, in some areas $200 per acre, these rates cannot service the Commission. So we started to, in some cases, charge more for certain portions of land,” the Commissioner said.
“The Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC) has developed a concept for the opening up of approximately 6,000 acres of State land for Residential, Commercial, Industrial and Agricultural purposes in Region Four.
Benn described the project as “an upgrade of Georgetown.”
He explained, however, that the Commission is ready to disclose which areas will be open for development since “every time we talk about a new development, squatters take it over.”
According to Benn, the plot of land, which equates to a significant portion of Georgetown’s land mass, will be developed by public and private enterprises.
“We will advertise for bidders, using a particular design we have developed,” the Lands Commissioner said.
The revenue would be used to increase the number of computers for staff to 200. This represents a 27% increase from 2017. Training in Microsoft SAGE AccPac and other software was also facilitated for relevant staff.
Benn said it is programmes like these which will require funding, and the Commission must look to means of acquiring the finances.
In the new year, the GL&SC will be moving forward with the digitization of the current system.
As part of the plan to move to a more digital platform, the Commission began linking Regional Offices to the Head Office through a Wide Area Network,(WAN).
The WAN was developed, tested and implemented between Head Office and Regional Offices in Regions 2, 3, 6, 9 and 10.
According to Benn, Regional Offices are now able to access the centralized accounting system, the lease management system and digital records of surveys plans. Work is ongoing to further expand and improve the WAN, and connect the remaining offices as the internet connectivity is established in those locations (Regions 1 &7).
Among other plans, Commissioner Benn said the developers will have to meet certain design criteria specified by the Commission, because we cannot have any more roads where only one car can pass.
“We want to make sure that we do not replicate what we call house lot schemes. But to have real, forward looking land development schemes which would capture better roads and sidewalks and green spaces, and a mix of business and commercial and residential lots, so that we can really move into the 21st century in the way we design our facilities.”
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