Joint GWI, CH&PA $23.6M facility at Lethem nears completion

As the Housing and Water Ministry moves towards expanding its services across the nation,
construction of the $23.6 million office at Tabatinga, Region Nine is some 85 per cent complete.
The new facility is expected to house the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) and the Central
Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), to ensure residents there benefit from similar
services offered along the coastland. Junior Minister of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues,
was quoted as saying on Sunday, “it is a great achievement for us to be able to bring those
services here to have a permanent location and to have the building be staffed, so that we could
easily access the services of both CH&PA and GWI.”
The minister said with the new facility coming on stream, persons will benefit from employment
pre and post construction. She disclosed that there will be more than 1,000 residents who will
benefit from jobs when work commence shortly at the new housing scheme. “At this point, we
have people who are employed to construct the building and one of the things we are doing with
all of our projects across the Ministry of Housing and Water, is using local labour and we are
ensuring that the materials come from within the region,” Rodrigues explained.
She continued, “And this is part of the bigger mandate of President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali
who has dictated to us that we want locals to be employed on these projects. This will help to
stimulate the economy and we can get the engines of growth going again in these local
economies.”  She pointed out that GWI has pumped some $18M into the project, while the
remainder sum will be provided by CH&PA. The project is expected to be completed by
December, 2021.

The junior minister note that among other features, the building has a ramp to accommodate
wheelchairs. Additionally, hundreds of low, moderate and middle incomes house lots will be
distributed to satisfy the housing need in Lethem. She said that this is even as government
continues its housing drive on Monday. Rodrigues also commissioned two new wells and water
distribution systems at Katoonarib and Patarinau, at the weekend. She said that the networks are
valued $7.5M and $8.5M, respectively.
Rodrigues stressed that government has implemented these strategies to ensure sufficient water
resources are provided to every community, especially the indigenous district. “By the end of our
first term we want to ensure that 90 per cent of our population, regardless of where you live ─
coastland or hinterland region ─ you must have access to water in your homes,” she assured
residents. She went on to declared, “That is a commitment our President has made and that is a
commitment that myself and ministers of government will ensure that we deliver on.”
Minister Rodrigues noted that the investments being made in the sector are second to none.