Lands Minister Refutes Bias Claims in Property Allocation

Minister of Lands Maria Browne has vehemently dismissed accusations of government bias in land allocation, asserting that the government is committed to providing equal opportunities to all citizens.

Browne addressed these claims during a session in Parliament on Friday, shedding light on a new and more inclusive land allocation program that has recently been introduced.

According to Browne, the demand for land has been consistently high, with approximately 60 new land applications received each week at either the CHAPA (Central Housing and Planning Authority) or the Lands division.

She shared that “it comes to a point where it gets difficult to meet the demand so much so that we have a very long wait list.”

She stated that in response to this pressing issue, the government has implemented different criteria and programs to ensure fair and accessible land distribution.

The latest initiative, known as the Land Empowerment Program (LEP), offers land for $3 per square foot and is specifically aimed at citizens who have never owned crown land and earn a monthly income of less than $3000.

However, amidst the unveiling of the progressive Land Empowerment Program, Minister Browne criticized the Barbuda Peoples Movement (BPM) and the United Progressive Party (UPP), questioning their track record on land allocation.

She accused the BPM of favoring communal land ownership in Barbuda, which, according to Browne, limited individual ownership opportunities for Barbudans. On the other hand, she expressed dissatisfaction with the UPP’s efforts during its ten-year tenure.

“The BPM never wanted Barbudans to own land individually but rather in common and the UPP only created about 300 parcels in their 10-year period and made them available to the people of Antigua and Barbuda and they say that we are uncaring, that we don’t want to empower our people,” she remarked.

In contrast, Browne emphasized the current administration’s dedication to empowering citizens saying “Under this administration, we have made available over 4000 parcels to the people of Antigua and Barbuda and we are going to do another four.”