The Ministry of Housing has moved to terminate underperforming contractors responsible for infrastructure delays affecting sections of Blocks One and Seven at Great Diamond, East Bank Demerara, in a bid to ensure allottees can gain timely access to their house lots.
During an on-site inspection on Friday, Minister of Housing Collin Croal and Minister within the Ministry Vanessa Benn assessed the situation alongside Deputy Director of Projects at the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), Intakab Indarjeet, and a team of engineers.
The visit forms part of the Ministry’s intensified oversight of infrastructure works across developing housing schemes. According to the Ministry, approximately 21 per cent of allottees in the two blocks have been impacted by delays linked to incomplete infrastructure works. However, Minister Croal clarified that the issue does not affect the entirety of Blocks One and Seven.
“It’s not the entire Blocks One and Seven that are inaccessible. It’s only sections within those two blocks that are affected,” Croal stated, noting that several beneficiaries have already been able to identify and access their house lots.
Block One comprises 1,018 lots, with lots numbered 493 to 677 affected. Block Seven contains 725 lots, with lots 31 to 220 impacted by the delays.
The Ministry has since initiated the re-tendering process for the outstanding works. The tender is expected to open by the second week of March, with contracts likely to be awarded by the end of the month. Once awarded, the new contractors are expected to mobilise and begin infrastructure works immediately.
Minister Croal said the decisive action taken at Great Diamond underscores the Ministry’s firm stance on contractor performance and its commitment to delivering fully serviced house lots to Guyanese in keeping with the government’s housing drive.
To promote transparency, the Ministry has committed to keeping affected allottees informed throughout the process so they can track when access to their lands becomes available.
