Attorney-at-law, Anil Nandlall has written to the Clerk of the National Assembly requesting information on rental contract for living accommodations for Ministers of the Government.
The request follows the publication that the Parliament Office/Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, has rented living accommodation for Junior Minister of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, at a rate of $500,000 GYD per month.
In a letter dated Monday, June 26, 2017, Nandlall is asking for the statutory/constitutional provision or Order, which authorized such use of public monies.
He further requests “copies of any other such rental contracts for living accommodations for Ministers of the Government entered into by the Parliament’s Office/Clerk of the National Assembly.”
In Tuesday’s edition (June 27, 2017) of the Stabroek News, it was noted the cap on the housing allowance for ministers was raised from $25,000 per month to $500,000 per month under the new government in 2015. The newspaper quoted Isaacs, who says that a decision was also taken at the same time for all allowances to be paid by the Parliament Office, from where the Ministers draw their salaries.
It is also reported that Peter Ramsaroop, from whom Broomes was renting a house, has sued the minister, the Parliament and the Attorney General over her alleged failure to pay three months’ rent.
According to the Handbook for Members of the National Assembly, the Speaker, the Prime Minister, Vice Presidents, the Attorney General and the Senior Ministers are each entitled to occupy, free of rent, a furnished residence provided by the government or in lieu thereof to be paid a house allowance.
The other ministers, the Leader of the Opposition and the Parliamentary Secretaries are not entitled to be provided with residence but are each paid a housing allowance.
