UPP Political Leader decries excesses at National Housing project; and suggests that cost overruns could be better used to fund other government obligations
Harold Lovell, the Political Leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP) is predicting that the National Housing and Urban Renewal project being undertaken by the government will be one of the biggest scandals this country has ever seen, as he calls for an inquiry into its operations.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne on Sunday (October 9) revealed that tax payers were subsidizing the housing project to the tune of $150,000 per property. This project was touted to be one designated to fulfill the housing needs of low income families.
Lovell says that the monies which are being wasted in that project might be why the Gaston Browne administration is pulling out all the stops to get re-elected.
He calls the sums being spent to subsidize each house as idiocy.
Lovell made reference to statements made by Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance Lennox Weston, who said that National Housing was burning money.
He says that the monies being put into the cost overruns for these homes could have been better spent taking care of other government obligations.
Lovell says that the UPP has no issue with persons getting homes; however, the monies are not being spent properly. He adds that there seems to be too much wastage when the government complains of not having any money and is forced to be repeatedly taking out loans.
The UPP political leader says that since this government-run company came into being over eight years ago, there has been no audited financial statements taken before the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda.
