Guyana’s Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) has issued a GY$202.9 million (approx. US$973,000) contract to Global Services Inc. for the establishment of a new trade single window.
The electronic platform will enable CH&PA to act as the sole point of application for the planning and development of projects instead of interacting with multiple agencies, as is currently obtained.
Users should also be able to track the progress of their applications.
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“For many years, you have heard the government speak about reducing bureaucracy, reducing the ‘red tape’, and making it easy for people to do business in Guyana,” Minister within the Housing and Water Ministry, Susan Rodrigues said during the Wednesday signing. “This IT platform, followed by the legislation that will be passed and made law, will allow for a single window for planning and building permits,” she said.
The government recently tabled the Planning and Development Single Window System Bill 2022 for perusal by the Guyana Parliament. The proposed legislation names 16 state agencies that planners and developers typically interface for permits depending on the nature of their projects.
Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, explained that in addition to the development of the window, the contractor will be responsible for reassessing and re-engineering the platform, throughout its implementation. The government plans to establish a steering committee to oversee the development of the window, to ensure deadlines and budgets are adhered to.
Once the legislation is in place, it will, among other things, standardise application forms and checklists, as well as drastically reduce the transaction time.
This trade single window is one of several measures being pursued by the government to remove hindrances to investment in Guyana. It is expected to be online by early July 2023.
