Housing Minister slashes Region 6 land title processing to 3 months

Housing Minister Collin Croal on Saturday pledged that land titles in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) will now be processed within three months, as the Ministry of Housing and Water intensified efforts to reduce a longstanding backlog of applications submitted before September 1, 2026.

Addressing hundreds of applicants at the Classic International Hotel, Skeldon, during a two-day outreach, Croal said that while the allocation of house lots has accelerated significantly since 2020, the priority for many residents has shifted from receiving land to securing their certificates of title.

He acknowledged that title processing has historically taken six months or longer but declared that the Ministry is restructuring its systems to reduce that timeframe by half. Currently, there are about 8000 applications pending.

The Minister said inefficiencies will no longer be tolerated as coordination with the Deeds Registry remains a necessary part of the process; he admitted that some of the delays stem from internal shortcomings.

“Some heads will have to roll in due time,” he warned, as he underscored the Government’s commitment to improving service delivery and ensuring faster responses to applicants.
“Some of the glitches are not only at the registry level, but they’re also in-house,” the Minister said, adding that accountability measures will be enforced where necessary.

Croal said that the backlog of applications submitted before September 1, 2026, and emphasised that clearing those pending matters in Region Six remains a priority. He assured residents that the majority of outstanding cases would be addressed before the end of the year, with all pending applicants in the region expected to be cleared as the Ministry intensifies its outreach and processing drive.

Minister within the Housing Ministry, Vanessa Benn, handing out a steel and cement voucher

Titles, agreements, construction vouchers

The commitments came as the Ministry processed a significant volume of transactions over the two days. On Friday, 390 agreements for sale were signed, while close to 400 certificates of title were issued. On Saturday, 200 land titles were handed over to beneficiaries, and 73 steel and cement vouchers were distributed to applicants who had qualified for construction assistance.

The steel and cement vouchers form part of the Government’s housing subsidy initiative administered through the Central Housing and Planning Authority, an agency under the Housing Ministry. The programme provides financial assistance toward the purchase of key construction materials, helping low- and middle-income allottees reduce upfront building costs and transition more quickly from land ownership to home construction. The vouchers are redeemable at approved suppliers and are intended to support faster housing development within emerging schemes.

Croal noted that home ownership does not end with the allocation of land but with beneficiaries securing their titles and building within fully developed communities. He said the Ministry is not naive to the complaints raised by applicants and that improving efficiency remains central to its mandate.

Too often, he said, residents are told to “check back” or are left waiting for responses between regional offices and Georgetown. To address this, the Ministry is enhancing its internal digital systems to allow for real-time updates and faster tracking of applications. He also announced that staff from the regional housing office will establish a regular monthly presence in Upper Corentyne so residents can make payments, sign agreements, and make enquiries without having to travel to New Amsterdam.

The Minister also outlined several ongoing and upcoming housing developments across Region Six. At Hogsty, infrastructure works are approximately 98 per cent complete, and beneficiaries who were allocated lots last year are expected to be able to physically identify and access their lands by early March. He indicated that agreements for that area will be finalised in the coming months.

A young man receives his Agreement of Sale from Housing Minister Collin Croal

At Moleson Creek, where allocations were made previously, Croal said initial delays related to access roads have been resolved, and contractors have resumed infrastructure works. Beneficiaries allocated lands are expected to be able to see and access their lots by July. He further noted that Moleson Creek is poised for expanded development, particularly in light of plans for a fixed bridge linking Guyana and Suriname, with the proposed landing site at that location expected to spur commercial and residential growth.

The Minister also referenced substantial investment at Palmyra, where over $1.5 billion has already been expended on housing construction alone, excluding broader commercial and recreational development. He said the area has been designated primarily for housing construction, including young professional and middle-income homes, as the Government continues to expand options for different income categories.

Croal reminded residents that housing development in Region Six must be balanced against competing land uses, including agriculture and sugar cultivation, noting the Government’s commitment to revitalising the sugar industry and protecting agricultural lands.

He said that since 2020, thousands of allocations have been made across schemes, including Ordinance Fortlands, Hampshire, Glasgow, Providence, and other areas along the Corentyne coast. The focus now, he reiterated, is ensuring that beneficiaries receive their titles in a timely manner and can begin building.