The Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) is reporting an unprecedented rush for land along the Soesdyke–Linden Highway, with more than 30,000 applications now on record—an extraordinary demand that has left the corridor “fully saturated.”
Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Enrique Monize, made the disclosure on Tuesday during the closing ceremony and workshop of the Sustainable Land Development and Management Project.
He said GLSC has processed and advanced almost 9,000 applications to the approval stage nationwide, amounting to more than 150,000 acres for a range of development purposes. But no other part of the country, he stressed, is experiencing pressure comparable to the Soesdyke–Linden corridor.
“The demand is so much that we currently have over 30,000 requests… just simply requests for land in one location, the Soesdyke–Linden Highway alone,” Monize said.
With available land in the area diminishing rapidly, allocations have fallen and the acreages being issued are now smaller. Monize said the Commission is actively pursuing inactive leases with the intention of repossessing unused lands and reallocating them to persons who are “ready to work.”
He also emphasised that dedicated housing solutions will be required along the highway to respond to the overwhelming demand.
Despite these pressures, Monize said GLSC has been meeting almost all government requests on time, crediting the agency’s improved responsiveness to sweeping upgrades that began in 2020.
These include the adoption of GPS-based surveying technology and extensive staff training in modern techniques—a “complete retooling” that has resulted in faster and more accurate land processing.
Still, he acknowledged that challenges persist, particularly squatting. Even after several regularisation drives, unlawful occupation continues, with people settling on public roads, dams, areas earmarked for infrastructure, and in some cases, private lands.
Monize said squatting remains one of the Commission’s most significant setbacks as it works to expand and strengthen land access and management across the country.
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