No preferential price or special treatment for sale of commercial lands- CH&PA

Last Updated on Saturday, 1 February 2025, 8:42 by Writer

In the wake of concerns by Alliance For Change (AFC) Leader, Nigel Hughes about the sale of land at Ogle, East Coast Demerara, to New York-based Guyanese Edul Ahmad at GY$30 million per acre to build an upscale housing complex, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) says the sale of commercial lands is an “open process” and is available to interested companies and individuals.

“Concerning pricing, a uniform rate of $30 million per acre was established for all developers. There were absolutely no preferential rates or special considerations afforded to any entity,” the regulatory agency, which falls under the Ministry of Housing and Water, said in a statement.

The CH&PA did not refer specifically to Mr Hughes or the sale of land to New Global Investment Corporation of which Mr Ahmad is a Director/Secretary, but sought to assure Guyanese that all transactions, including those concerning the recent sale of commercial lands follow established protocols rigorously.

The agreement between Mr Ahmad’s company and the CH&PA was signed on July 17, 2024.

The CH&PA said the Housing Ministry publicly advertised a call for Expressions of Interest from housing developers, and multiple companies expressed interest and met the outlined criteria unequivocally. “In our commitment to enhance the housing drive through Public Private Partnerships, we moved decisively to sell the lands,” the CH&PA said.

The Authority explained that in keeping with its standard procedures, all companies acquiring prime commercial lands are strictly required to adhere to the stipulated agreements regarding property use. The CH&PA cautioned that any deviation from these agreements will incur penalties, as detailed in the contractual arrangements.

The CH&PA says it stands firmly committed to ensuring a fair and transparent process for the allocation of both residential and commercial lands, fully aligned with national development goals. “We urge the public to remain vigilant and not be misled by external narratives aiming to create discord or undermine the integrity of this process,” the Authority said in an apparently veiled reference to the AFC Leader.

Mr Hughes on Friday published selected pages of the agreement between Mr Ahmad’s company and the CH&PA on his Facebook page, querying whether the CH&PA could have indicated where a citizen could purchase an acre of land in Plantation Ogle near to ExxonMobil’s intended Head Office, from CHPA for GY$30 million, lower than the cost of a houselot in some residential locations.

Mr Ahmad was convicted and jailed in the US in 2017 for mortgage fraud. He had also been ordered to repay US$2.6 million to victims.

Mr Ahmad is also closely related to the Ahmads who own Sherriff Guyana, a group of companies in healthcare, security and construction. Sherriff Guyana on Saturday said “Ed Ahmad has no business or affiliation with the Sheriff Holdings. Any claims suggesting otherwise are false.”