Gov’t to secure transport, titles for ECD housing co-ops

A beneficiary with her transport

The Ministry of Labour and Attorney General’s Chambers are actively working to ensure members of housing cooperative societies along the East Coast Demerara (ECD) corridor receive their transports or titles for lands they have been occupying for years.

Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton on Wednesday said this is an ongoing initiative by the government to empower residents by providing them with ownership documents that can be leveraged to secure loans for housing construction, thereby enhancing their quality of life.

“Many persons were able to own a house lot and build a house by being a member of a cooperative society,” Minister Hamilton underscored.

In 2023, a total of 62 letters of no objection were sent to the Ministry of Housing and Water for persons to obtain their titles or transports. Some 40 letters have been submitted to the ministry for 2024.

Residents from Plantation Hope and Bath Settlement in Region Five were among the beneficiaries who received their transports in 2023.

Cooperatives are member-owned and controlled enterprises designed to meet their members’ common economic, social, and cultural needs and goals.

“In Guyana, even though there are many challenges faced when dealing with cooperative societies, the potential is there. Once properly managed, cooperatives can improve the lives of the masses,” Minister Hamilton explained.

With the provision of lands, several agricultural co-operative societies are engaged in large-scale farming, boosting food production and employment opportunities in many communities.

Agricultural cooperatives, like the Corentyne Youth Farmers’ Cooperative Society, have played a crucial role in enhancing food production and employment, cultivating about 3,000 acres of rice.

The labour minister pointed out that the Hopetown Multipurpose Cooperatives Society Limited has diversified into sectors like transportation and rice cultivation.

The ministry’s co-op department continues to provide technical and other support to these groups, ensuring they are following the necessary guidelines and regulations.