Recent attack on me stemmed from motion in Parliament to review high prices for housing

Dear Editor,

Kindly permit me space to respond to an article published on Saturday, May 11, 2024 by an online news outlet, “Guyana Daily News.”  The headline read, “Ferguson gets double-sized house lot, paid less than half the price of regular lot.” Editor, if Guyana Daily News were credible in their reporting, they would know that there is an ongoing libel matter on the same issue, Ferguson v Jagdeo, for which I was awarded judgment of $20million. This matter has been appealed by Mr. Jagdeo and is therefore sub judice. Could it be that Guyana Daily News has a political agenda?

This recent attack on me stemmed from my tabling a motion in Parliament last week, for the establishment of a Special Select Committee to review the high prices low income citizens are required to pay for house lots and to make recommendations. Government Parliamentarians were vociferous in their lack of support for the motion. Is it that the work of CHPA cannot withstand scrutiny? Can the date of application and the price of each house lot issued under the PPP/C be made public?

Guyana Daily News alleged that “Former Minister of Housing under the APNU+AFC, Annette Ferguson, reportedly received a house lot twice the size of a regular lot, but still paid less than half the price of a regular lot in 2017.” Since this matter is still engaging the Court, I will only say that I paid for a house lot as requested by Central Housing and Planning Authority.

For the benefit of my readers, I will briefly outline how house lots are priced:

1. For housing schemes to be developed, Central Housing and Planning Authority

(CHPA) usually procure lands in “block” from GUYSCO, Guyana Lands and Survey Commission or NICIL.

2. Surveys are conducted by Central Housing and Planning Authority

to parcel off lands and assign numbers to each parceled land.

3. On completion of the surveys, Central Housing and Planning Authority

then engages the Government’s valuation department to obtain the current market value per square foot.

4. Central Housing and Planning Authority then assigns costs to house lots which vary according to size, location and whether lands will be allocated to low- or middle-income applicants. Allottees do not determine the cost of the lot allocated to them.

I am extending an invitation to the Editor, for an on-site inspection of the land allocated to me by Central Housing and Planning Authority, and similarly to survey other lands in the area, that are bigger than the one I have, including one owned by a former PPP/C Minister of Government.

Yours truly,

Annette Ferguson, MP