GEORGETOWN, Guyana, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves Tuesday his island is buying ready-made houses from Guyana, more than two years after the La Soufrière volcano in his homeland erupted in 2021, wreaking havoc across the country.
Gonsalves, who is on a four day-official visit here, visited the DuraVilla housing project, telling reporters that Kingstown is buying ready-made houses from Guyana to replace what was lost.
“We are making arrangements to buy and have delivered to us by the end of March, 15 one, two, and three-bedroom houses,” Prime Minister Mitchell said.
The ready-made wooden houses will be procured from privately-owned DuraVilla homes. The authorities here said St. Vincent and the Grenadines could purchase at least 100 houses, with Gonsalves saying Guyana produces impressive low-cost dwellings.
“These houses are quite elegant, and they are also reasonably priced. We will naturally have to do the base and transportation costs…but they are good value for money,” he added.
Gonsalves and his wife, Eloise, visited the Diamond Housing Scheme on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) and the privately-owned DuraVilla homes.
He said housing is one of his focus areas, given the damages his country has been grappling with in the aftermath of the April 2021 eruptions of La Soufrière.
“We lost a lot of houses during the 2021 volcanic eruptions,” Prime Minister Gonsalves noted. Reports indicate that as many as 13,000 people were displaced by the eruptions that forced the evacuation of several nearby areas.
Prime Minister Gonsalves said that with funding secured, the country is keen on rebuilding- and has enlisted Guyana’s help.
He praised the government and private sector for their efforts at providing low-cost housing solutions to thousands of people, adding that once Guyana’s needs are met, there is a sizeable Caribbean market for Guyana-made houses.
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