Guyana Housing Minister Warns Of Fraudsters As New Housing Scheme Launched

GEORGETOWN, Guyana CMC – The Guyana government is warning the public to be aware of fraudsters attempting to sell them house lots as it announced plans for the start of the 1,000 homes turn-key initiative.

Housing and Water Minister, Irfaan Ali, said that the housing initiative is expected to begin in October, and public should be aware of fraudsters who attempt to sell house lots to them which are only available through the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA).

Ali urged potential home owners “to safeguard yourself and to operate in an honest way because when you do this and you are part of these schemes you are also a part of the fraud.”

He said the CHPA internal control system is being strengthened “to the extent that we have been nabbing a lot of fraudsters and detecting a lot of fraud in the system.

“We have warned the public out there that there is only one way of conducting business with the CHPA, and that is by coming into the Ministry and dealing directly with the Ministry,” Ali said, noting that one recent fraudster was nabbed trying to sell some of the turn key homes.

The man is due to appear in court on August 12 and Ali said anyone with information on those fraudsters should inform the relevant authorities.

Ali said the turn-key initiative is the latest in the successful turn-key concept started by the government in 2011 as a strategy to assist low-income earners to become home-owners.

The initiative will see the ministry constructing two and three bedroom homes at a cost between GUY$4.9 million and nine million (One Guyana dollar = US$0.01 cents).