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Public Administration Minister Marlene McDonald’s back to work with a bang—on the hunt for public officers who have overstayed their tenancy on state property assets.
And the team she’s mandated to go door-to-door to take stock of Government’s property asset base has already met with resistance from some occupiers at the Flagstaff Hill, Port-of-Spain development for instance.
“I have been told that some people (at Flagstaff) told our team that they’ll speak to them in court when those occupiers realised the team had come to ascertain their status,” McDonald said yesterday.
The survey of Government’s property assets started in June.
It’s now one of her priority projects in the ministry and was designated by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on his return from China in May.
McDonald spoke about it—and her resumption of duties—at a media briefing at her Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain ministry.
She said she’s very focused on the project designated by her boss in which she has to examine Government’s asset base, including the status of occupancies.
“An exercise like this hasn’t been done in some time, almost 15 to 20 years,” McDonald said.
Public officers—including senior ones like permanent secretaries or people transferred from other locations—are allowed housing on state property.
She said a lot of public officers have occupied Government property over more than a decade spanning many several administrations, “...UNC, COP, NAR, PNM...Some people have overstayed their residency, from government to government, waiting out governments and even passing on tenancy to their children,” she revealed.
“Normally, they have to remove from a property once they reach the public service retirement age of 60.
“But there is no mechanism in the ministry to flag when occupiers of state property reach that age.
“If there is, they could be contacted several months before they reach 60 and informed they have to relocate once they retire.”
McDonald said there is concern about the extended tenancies over the years since public officers do not pay the state any rent and some do not pay maintenance fees for residency at various developments.
A five-member team external to the ministry, headed by an engineer, is going door to door to do the examination of state property assets, she said.
Government’s property base includes apartments at Flagstaff Hill, Prada Street, St Clair, La Seiva, Ellerslie Park, Federation Park Villas and similar other compounds, as well as at Centeno.
She also noted 75 occupied bungalows near the former Caroni 1975 Ltd factory and property at Gaspar Grande, Down The Islands.
The exercise, which began with 170 Flagstaff apartments, is close to completion where that development is concerned.
Reports are being compiled as examinations of developments conclude. She estimated the overall project should be concluded by year-end.
Admitting to being a workaholic, McDonald said she’s also immediately started an analysis to prepare figures for her ministry’s aspects in the 2019 Budget.
McDonald also congratulated Police Commissioner-designate Gary Griffith.
She was on sick leave from Parliament when his nomination was approved on Monday.
“He’s a person who thinks outside of the box and will try to bring something different to the table, so I expect great things from him and I wish him every success.
“We want T&T to be a kinder, gentler place. His won’t be an easy task but it’ll give him every opportunity to perform.”
She was treated to a “Welcome Back” function by staffers after her absence of a month being treated for pneumonia.
She was warded at the St Clair Medical Centre for nine days—where fluid was drained from her lungs—followed by convalescence at home.
She went out to work with her constituency last week and continues constituency assistance projects this weekend.
McDonald says she’s no longer feeling any “bubbling” in her lungs but is buying her own nebuliser to facilitate medication at home if necessary