Local News

$30M per acre price-tag for land was set by APNU+AFC – Nandlall

05 February 2025
This content originally appeared on INews Guyana.
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Attorney General Anil Nandlall

The sale of large plots of land by the Central Housing & Planning Authority (CH&PA) has been the topic of controversy over the past week.

Centre of the controversy is the sale of prime lands at Ogle, East Bank Demerara – at a cost of $30M per acre.

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall on Tuesday evening sought to explain the process of determining the cost of State lands sold to private developers.

“We got it from the existing agreements which we inherited,” he noted during his weekly programme “Issues in the News”.

Questions were raised by Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Nigel Hughes who criticised the $30M per acre price-tag, implying that its rooted in corruption.

However, Nandlall pointed out that Hughes in not in the position to allege corruption surrounding land transactions since his party along with the APNU, transferred major swathes of land, during the period when they were in caretaker mode after the passage of the No-Confidence Motion in December 2019 and then during the post 2020 elections.

“In 2020 when we got into Government, I received piles and piles of files of transactions that were done under the previous government, contracts were already signed for huge swathes of lands,” Nandlall said.

He highlighted locations including the sale of 30 acres at $30 million per acre at Ogle, ECD, with the title vested, though no money was paid. He noted that lands were sold at Le Resouvenir, Chateau Margot, Ogle, Providence, Georgetown, West Demerara and properties within the staff compounds at the Enmore, Linden and Wales Estates.

“So when they are questioning and seem to be suggesting that $30 million (per acre) was a gift to some special person, that is not so,” Nandlall contended.

Moreover, he noted that the price is often determined by the market value and the volume of the investment that the investor is likely to make.

“Logically, the larger the volume of the investment, the land would be proportionately cheaper because the government is granting a concession, and that is how a concessionary price to attract the investment, because the country is expected to benefit and when the investment is completed, taxation will be completed and employment opportunities would be created and of course, the people of Guyana will benefit,” he stated.

Additionally, he said these transactions involving large plots of land follow the submission of Expressions of Interest, provision of capital to develop potential projects, and the approval of Cabinet.

On the other hand, Nandlall pointed out that the former Government hurriedly leased plots of lands along the Pomeroon River and in Region Six while they sold a wharf at Kingston belonging to the Government.

In some cases, he said some of the investors were unable to pay the sums owed and returned their titles.

“If you know your party was partis creminis in all these transactions, why on earth are you making it an issue?” he questioned the AFC Leader.

Responding to Hughes’ call for the halt of all transactions until the next General and Regional Elections, Nandlall noted that there is no need for this since the PPP/C Government is not barred from performing its assigned tasks.

“We must not do any developmental plans for ten months is what he is saying,” the AG pointed out.

As it relates to the sale of lands by the CHPA to contentious characters, the Attorney General said he is only engaged on these matters when legal advice is required.

“Now I don’t work with the Central Housing and Planning, I don’t monitor their day-to-day activities, so I am not in receipt of who gets lands or not, following the government’s process. I don’t know whether this company get land, or that company, transactions come to me for legal advice when legal issues arises and I am not here to defend who buy property in New York, who get property in New York and how they pay for it, that is not my business and is not the government’s business either so don’t pin that or ask me to explain that,” he said.

President Dr Irfaan Ali has made it clear that any breaches to Guyana’s land policy by private developers will result in the repossession of land. In outlining the terms of agreements with private developers, President Ali also made it clear that strict conditions are attached to the sale of land for development. Among these are requirements for the installation of drainage systems, roads, and street lighting within 18 months, and the completion of at least 70 per cent of residential construction within three years.
Further, the sale agreements stipulated that developers must make a 30 per cent down payment upon signing the agreement and the remaining balance within 18 months. Importantly, title to the property would only be transferred to the developer once all conditions, including full payment and the substantial completion of infrastructure, had been met.