The national government’s policy to address housing issues in the country has made progress, with the Lands Department today issuing the certificate of authority to occupy to the Ministerial Committee on the National Affordable Land and Housing Program.
This paves the way for work to start on Portion 3288 in Gerehu, for the creation of titled and serviced allotments, which will be released for free to qualifying Papua New Guineans.
The event today also saw the Department of National Planning presenting land surveying equipment to the Surveyor General’s office to carry out a survey on the land for work to start.
The O&rsquO’Neill-Dion government came up with an important policy initiative, the National Affordable Land and Housing Program, to address housing issues faced by people around the country.
Sixty-one million kina was made available this year as initial funding for the program, with a vision to make urban housing available through the release of government land for free.
This program was complimented with a commitment of K200 million by the government as a financial initiative, through Bank of South Pacific, for people to borrow at a rate of 4 per cent per annum over a 40-year period to build their homes.
Today marked the start of this program when the Lands Department identified an 86-hectare plot of land at Gerehu called Portion 3288 and presented the occupancy certificate to the Ministerial Committee.
Lands and Physical Planning Minister, Benny Allen, said it was difficult for the government to access land with them owing K450 million in outstanding land claims.
Prime Minister Peter O&rsquO’Neill said his government is working to ensure people have proper housing and they will provide basic services like water, sewerage and power to occupants of this land.
He said the sizes of the blocks of land must be drawn up with consideration of our culture where we care for extended families and relatives.
The government will also build 41 houses across 41 districts for public servants under the same program.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=lgLEpA9-vcg%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
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