Land Inspection Initiative Benefits Stann Creek West Constituents

Residents in the Stann Creek West constituency are benefitting from a special land inspection program rolled out by Area Representative Rodwell Ferguson. Ferguson explained that land inspections form a critical part of the process for applying for a piece of land, but the inspections were not being done in a timely manner. He said that he approached the Ministry of Natural Resources and asked that a land inspector be made available for constituents for a month. The inspector has since visited several villages in the constituency, drawing out large crowds of land applicants hoping to capitalize on the opportunity.

Rodwell Ferguson, Area Representative, Stann Creek West: “So recently I recognize that many people go to the lands department and apply for a portion of land but after that process is done, the land needs an inspection by the inspector of the Lands Department and sometimes that takes long to be done and I would want to see things happen very quickly. So recently I approached the CEO in the Ministry of Natural Resources I asked him if there is any possibility that an inspector can be loaned to the Stann Creek West constituency at least for one month to go through every village and I put up a notice to let my people know that it will be in your village a particular day. So we started in the village of Independence last week, it was very successful because people came out and their lands were inspected. We moved on to San Juan Cowpen likewise was successful and then now today we are in the village of Red Bank. But we are going through every single village for the entire month. So no village will not be able to say you know what the land inspector never came to my village after I arranged the visit. So so far, in Red Bank this morning and we’ll move right along village to village until we complete every single village in this Stann Creek West constituency.”

Ferguson noted that Independence Village is one of the areas that needed the most assistance, given the time and money constituents were spending trying to get their applications processed.

Rodwell Ferguson, Area Representative, Stann Creek West: “Imagine Independence is forty five minutes from Dangriga and for you to go to the Lands Department every day and request an inspection, it is costly. And sometimes you go there and there is no response. And so when they are saw the post, they come out in numbers and it’s very successful. So people are very happy. They are very appreciative of what I’m doing for them. And this is nothing politics. This is open to everybody who wants to get their land inspected.”

Ferguson added that once the scheduled visits are completed the inspector will return to villages that were underserved during the initial inspections.