CH&PA staff accuse Minister of being out of control

Minister within the Communities Ministry Valerie Sharpe-Patterson has come in for shape criticisms from employees, who have accused her of acting without discretion.

In a letter to the editor, staff of the Central Housing and Planning Authority has accused Sharpe-Patterson of

operating solely out of her office and bypassing the land allocation department.

The authoritarian handling of the agency by the Minister was allegedly identified in a number of matters. These matters included the allocation $300,000 to fix 50 homes as an act in relation to the jubilee celebrations. It was alleged that the Board had rejected the proposal, but the Minister went ahead with her plans.

In addition to that, the employees are claiming that they were not notified of the plans for the 50 per cent discount plan until it was reported in the media.

The deal offered a 50 per cent discount on the outstanding balance for persons who had completed paying at least 50 per cent of the cost of their house lots by May 1.

The immediate implication of the action of the Minister resulted in the deal being cancelled by Chairman of the Board, Hamilton Green.

Green had confirmed that the deal was off. He said there were some lapses in the arrangement, including the fact that the Minister failed to consult with the Board before making the announcement. He said the Board was now examining the deal, giving consideration to all possible financial implications.

This publication’s efforts to contact the Minister on the issue proved futile.

However, when Guyana times asked the Chairman for his take on the issue, he indicated that it was a matter discussed at the Board meeting on Wednesday and it will be dealt with in house.

Meanwhile, former Housing Minister Irfaan Ali in a letter to the editor stated that the management and staff in the post had an input in the decision-making processes within the sector. He pointed out that housing is too important to the structure of Guyana’s economy for the Minister not to get involved meaningfully in the decision-making process of the sector.