Another revenue stream found for NHC

THE Ministry of Housing and Lands, through the National Housing Corporation (NHC), is tapping into another revenue stream which could help to fund several programmes across the island while at the same time selling, demolishing or putting old government buildings back into use.

This was revealed by Minister in that Ministry, Charles Griffith, who on Tuesday led off the debate on a resolution to vest in the National Housing Corporation a piece of land and building in Indian Ground, St. Peter.
Formerly the Indian Ground Primary School, the building was closed 1998. Minister Griffith explained that the Seventh Day Adventist Church would have expressed an interest in acquiring that particular location, noting that Government will fetch $400 000 from the property in the process.

“We believe that these funds can be used to help repair those 850 wells that are across our 49 building estates on the island.”

Minister Griffith revealed that as promised, the Ministry has completed its audit of all abandoned buildings on the island and 36 have been identified.

“We understand that this could provide a new stream of revenue for the NHC. There are several buildings that have already been acquired by in some cases international agencies, in some cases local agencies and we are making money from that. We know that the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme would have acquired one recently, but there are a few that would also like to identify that we are either looking to refurbish or
demolish.”

He revealed that plans are in train to have a Cabinet paper in short order that will speak specifically to abandoned government properties.

“What we are looking to do is establish a Real Estate Portfolio that would make it easy to manage all of these buildings and put them into use that we believe, like I said last week, would remove that eyesore across the landscape of the country.”

He reiterated that the funds collected from this initiative are badly needed and will go to areas such as Government’s wells programme.

“I know this would have generated a whole set of talk at the national level, but I am pleased today to report that repairs on those particular programmes are actually happening as I speak.

“We have started work at Deacons, work at Haynesville, and provisions were being made to start work in Pinelands this week. It is only because of a few technical problems that we have not yet started the repairs in the Pine. The surveying and electrical upgrades is also something that this money from this particular resolution and some of the others that I have identified will be used also to assist in us dealing with those particular electrical upgrades and the survey and upgrades.

“When officers carried out that audit, amazing a lot of those buildings just needed a little attention and can be pressed into use.”

He said funds are also needed to upgrade equipment at the NHC, including replacing the old sewage truck and acquiring a bobcat. (JH)

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