[www.inewsguyana.com] – Eight new land surveyors were yesterday sworn in by the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) to boost the capacity of the Commission, other government agencies and the private sector that require this specialized skill.
According to Surveys Division Manager, Rene Duesbury, the successful eight surveyors came from a batch of thirty six. He pointed out a lot of emphasis was placed in mathematics in 2014, but performance in this area still remains low.
As such, more emphasis will continue to be place in this subject. Additionally, it was also pointed out that the course for 2015 will include new subject areas as part of a requirement under the recently assented Land Surveyors Act.
Also present were Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud, Commissioner of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC), Mr. Doorga Persaud and Mr. Rudolph Choo-Shee-Nam, Head of Lands and Surveyors’ Association.
According to the Commissioner of the GL&SC, the training is sponsored by the Commission annually to sustain a cadre of professional land surveyors in Guyana who function in both the public and private sector.
He called on the surveyors to the best of their knowledge carry out their duties faithfully, to adopt sound and acceptable principles, professional ethics and operate with integrity and credibility within the framework of the law.
In this regard, Minister Persaud in his remarks challenged the new batch of surveyors that their conduct must be of the highest level of commitment and integrity and all actions must be above board.
He also made reference to the recent establishment of an Enforcement Unit within GL&SC, which will soon be staffed. This, Minister Persaud said was realized after “we have seen an increase in land grabbing, illegal occupancy along with elements of collusion at different levels.”
Persaud anticipates that the Enforcement Unit will bring order to land use and management of land resources in Guyana. 
“You have been given essential skills and tools for national building, but also for the prosperity and progress of this nation and that must not be ignored or taken lightly”.
The newly sworn in surveyors were told by Minister Persaud that they will be essential in realizing the development projects moving forward as the natural resources sector is continually expanding particularly in forestry and mining, including housing and other infrastructure development.
Meanwhile, he stated that land use and administration is taking on a greater prominence in our society in terms of our vision in moving the country forward.
As such, Minister Persaud made reference to the recently finalized national land use policy and the approved national geospatial policy which will allow for better coordination and support for GIS in Guyana. The Natural Resources and the Environment Minister said that the skills that would have been acquired by the surveyors will give greater impetus to adequately support development and land management.
Congratulations to the new land surveyors.
I do not agree with the Minister’s choice of words of “land grab” at this function. I am a PPP supporter and will always be one. I shall have no personal battles with the PPP because I live through the Burnham dictatorship and the children of Guyana do not deserve to experience anything like that again. But this Minister is talking nonsense. We do not have “land grab” in Guyana. We have plain old corruption and this needs to be fixed. Land grab is a term that can be interpreted to mean, pushing legal owners off their land. Careful how you use this in Guyana. The West has been using this phrase politically to discourage large investments in Africa by countries such as China. The West also claim China is practicing a new form of colonialism in Africa.
The Minister must not pick up a phrase he heard and throw it on the Guyanese people. THERE IS NO LAND GRAB IN GUYANA. We have land galore waiting to be used and occupied. The Minister must tell us more about the two policies he mentioned (land use policy and spatial policy) and encourage Guyanese to venture inland and take up real estate. Unless we improve the drainage situation on the coastland this strip of land will be grabbed from us. People must move inwards now because soon there would be nothing to fight over.
Once again, congratulations and best wishes to the new land surveyors.