The Letters of Appointment were on Wednesday presented to the Chairman and Members of the Land Settlement Committee by Minister of Housing and Urban Development Camille Robinson-Regis.
This took place at a brief ceremony at the Ministry’s Head Office, South Quay, Port-of-Spain yesterday.
They new board comprises of Wayne Innis, Chairman, Allan Meiguel, Vice Chairman and members Courtenay Legendre, Fayola Merrique, Jonathan Soo Hon, Marilyn Duncan, Peter Goodridge, Ruhul Rampersad and Edmund Phillips.
Members were appointed, in accordance with the provision of sections 7 and 8 of the State Land (Regularisation of Tenure) Act, Chap. 57:05, to provide oversight of the Land Settlement Agency’s operations for a period of one (1) year.
The core mandate of the Land Settlement Agency (LSA) is to provide security of tenure to eligible squatters; facilitate the acquisition of leasehold titles by both squatters and tenants in designated areas and, to provide for the establishment of land settlement areas.
In a release, the ministry said the mandate of the LSA has been broadened to include the introduction of the Tenancy Programme, execution of the Government Aided Self-Help Housing Programme and the Housing and Village Improvement Programme on behalf of the Ministry; as well as the development of residential lots for former PETROTRIN employees, as part of the PETROTRIN Residential Lots Programme.
The Land Settlement Agency (LSA) is also responsible for the development of agricultural plots for youth of the Youth Agriculture Homestead Programme (YAHP) of the Ministry of Youth Development and National Services.
Addressing the newly appointed members, Minister Robinson-Regis said, “Like any other organization, the LSA is not without its challenges but therein lies the opportunity for you to utilise your skills and expertise, to mitigate the challenges and devise new and innovative solutions to impact on the LSA’s ability to fulfil its mandate.”
She further stated that the Ministry and the LSA “remain committed to working together to improve the lives of the citizens we are called to serve; and I could not have chosen a more outstanding group of professionals to be in charge of this mandate.”