Gov’t should facilitate first-time land owners to build their homes
Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly (HoA) Neville ‘Sheep’ Smith said the government should help first-time Belonger landowners with the construction of homes.
Smith was giving his contribution to the motion moved by Premier Andrew Fahie to amend the Stamp Duty Tax Act in the HoA earlier today.
The Deputy Speaker said while the government is already assisting Belongers to purchase land with its four per cent tax waiver, some persons still cannot build on the land for several reasons.
“One of the things when it comes to government land — once people acquire government land — is that some sort of road infrastructure or water and power needs to be put in place that these people can have access to do these things,” Smith said.
“Maybe there could be a way you could charge it in the land tax so we could get it bit by bit. We don’t have to get it all. Because sometimes when a young person is going to build a house and they are alone in that area, a transformer alone, they can’t afford to pay for a transformer,” the Deputy Speaker added.
Smith, who is also a Territorial At-large representative, said there are many young persons who use their money to purchase land and because of poor public infrastructure, they are unable to reach that land.
“They can’t get power to that land; they can’t get water to that land. That in itself puts them in a predicament where they have to sit down and wait and then you know what might happen? They might lose that same piece of land because they can’t get to build on it,” he reiterated.
“So, we have to find ways that we could enhance that because if we are saying we are going to give them the land, we have to give them the opportunity to build on that land,” Smith continued.
Although the Deputy Speaker said he still supports the motion, he noted there is a lot more the government can do and a lot more they will do to help BVI citizens.
“As I say, little by little a bird builds its nest and I think the government is moving in the right direction in finding ways to help our people and keeping the land to Belongers and our young people. Because if you don’t own the land, you don’t own the island,” Smith said.
During the height of the pandemic, the government had issued a four per cent stamp duty waiver for Belongers who purchased new property or land which expired on December 31.
Fahie said the stamp duty waiver has been modified to just Belongers who are using the bank to purchase homes and/or land for the first time or Belongers embarking on home construction purchases for the first time.
The Deputy Speaker said while the government is already assisting Belongers to purchase land with its four per cent tax waiver, some persons still cannot build on the land for several reasons.
“One of the things when it comes to government land — once people acquire government land — is that some sort of road infrastructure or water and power needs to be put in place that these people can have access to do these things,” Smith said.
“Maybe there could be a way you could charge it in the land tax so we could get it bit by bit. We don’t have to get it all. Because sometimes when a young person is going to build a house and they are alone in that area, a transformer alone, they can’t afford to pay for a transformer,” the Deputy Speaker added.
Smith, who is also a Territorial At-large representative, said there are many young persons who use their money to purchase land and because of poor public infrastructure, they are unable to reach that land.
“They can’t get power to that land; they can’t get water to that land. That in itself puts them in a predicament where they have to sit down and wait and then you know what might happen? They might lose that same piece of land because they can’t get to build on it,” he reiterated.
“So, we have to find ways that we could enhance that because if we are saying we are going to give them the land, we have to give them the opportunity to build on that land,” Smith continued.
Although the Deputy Speaker said he still supports the motion, he noted there is a lot more the government can do and a lot more they will do to help BVI citizens.
“As I say, little by little a bird builds its nest and I think the government is moving in the right direction in finding ways to help our people and keeping the land to Belongers and our young people. Because if you don’t own the land, you don’t own the island,” Smith said.
During the height of the pandemic, the government had issued a four per cent stamp duty waiver for Belongers who purchased new property or land which expired on December 31.
Fahie said the stamp duty waiver has been modified to just Belongers who are using the bank to purchase homes and/or land for the first time or Belongers embarking on home construction purchases for the first time.
