– says land remains state-owned, Order No. 180 part of title registration process
(Kaieteur News) – The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), has rejected recent claims published by Kiskadee Watch that President Irfaan Ali personally purchased 182 acres of land at Plantation Onderneeming, describing the claims as “erroneous, grossly misleading, and without basis.”
The ministry’s statement comes in response to reports alleging that the head of state acquired the property. Housing officials said the claims are based on a fundamental misinterpretation of statutory procedures, specifically Order No. 180 of 2026, and the legal processes governing public land administration in Guyana.
According to the CH&PA, the lands in question remain state-owned properties held under Transport No. 130 of 1876. The authority stressed that President Ali has not personally bought, acquired or transferred any portion of the property to himself.
Order No. 180 of 2026 is the initial regulatory step required to bring the identified parcels under Guyana’s land registration system. The process is necessary to facilitate the eventual issuance of legal certificates of title to public beneficiaries.
“The president, as the minister responsible, is authorised to sign the order,” the CH&PA stated. “His execution of the order is therefore an exercise of his official statutory responsibility and must not be misrepresented as evidence that he personally purchased or acquired the lands.”
The official instrument covers two parcels of land, both earmarked for public housing and regularised community development.
Parcel 936, comprising approximately 26.85 acres, encompasses a regularised area currently occupied by informal settlers. Bringing the parcel into the land registration system is expected to advance the process of granting eligible residents official certificates of title and securing their tenure.
Parcel 1793, measuring approximately 155.13 acres and formerly designated as Block “CHPA 3,” has been designated for a new government housing scheme. Registration of the land is a prerequisite for issuing title deeds to individual land applicants and housing beneficiaries.
Together, the two parcels total approximately 182 acres and are designated for public housing initiatives.
The CH&PA said it was concerned that a routine legal and administrative process had been portrayed as a private transaction, when the process was designed to facilitate land ownership and secure tenure for Guyanese families.
“To suggest that the president personally purchased government lands when he was exercising his authority as the responsible Minister in furtherance of the land-registration process is reckless, misleading, and wholly unacceptable,” the statement read.
Source: Kaieteur News
