By Leroy Smith
Chairman of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), Hamilton Green today confirmed that nine persons’ contracts were terminated on Thursday at the agency, for condoning substandard works in the execution of the 1000 homes project.
During an exclusive interview with Newsroom, Green said “it’s a set of inappropriate work and actions by staff. Staff that had also involved contractors who did very very poor work and delivered shoddy houses to people,” adding that this was an issue that had to be dealt with by the Board of Directors from since its appointment.
It was during visits to the homes and housing locations that the CH&PA got a first-hand experience of what was being given to the home owners. This prompted a meeting with persons who would have moved into the home already and those who were reluctant to move into the houses because of faults too numerous to mention.
He noted that complaints were received from several persons of their inability to utilise the homes while they still have to pay a mortgage for it.
Upon investigation, Green said it was “found that the team that was responsible and headed by the gentleman that has since disappeared…that team certainly were not performing so we took a decision yesterday that we will close that aspect of the project and give them a month’s notice or pay them a month in lieu of notice, its all in their contract.”
Taslim Baksh, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) disappeared earlier in the year, as a probe into certain deals at the former Ministry of Housing was ongoing.
The Chairman said a proper manager is being sought for the 1000 homes project to improve the facilities.
Explaining the level of shoddy work completed, he noted that “we found a large number of things done that certainly did not benefit the householders. We found walls that were cracking, paint peeling, porous septic tanks, waters in bathrooms that were going in the wrong direction, leaking roofs, doors that were not functional, windows that unsafe, sinks in the kitchens that could not be properly used.”
While the main reason given for these issues includes theft, the chairman said a pattern was noticed.
This has cost the government millions of dollars in losses.
The CH&PA has now moved to engage private security firms and the police to ensure the security of the houses where not too many persons are living. This move is to reduce the instances of theft and vandalism
