“You want house? Then pay for house!”
That was the message Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar had for her Cabinet members as she announced that she would put an end to state-funded housing for State officials.
Speaking at yesterday’s post-Cabinet media briefing, Persad-Bissessar announced, “I have requested a list of State officials supplied with state-funded housing to see how we could cut some costs.”
She said she was informed that there are government officials from the last administration with three to four state-funded homes.
“Can you believe that? We will let you know in due course. But I am not here about name calling, I am here about policy and programmes that more people from the country can benefit from. So, I have asked for that, let’s see where we can cut some of these costs.”
The Prime Minister, in the presence of her Cabinet members, said she has directed her own ministers to not ask for state-funded housing.
“The country is not so large that you need to have a house in Port-of-Spain paid for by taxpayers. There are people who don’t even have a house and you want to have two, your own house and one in town. No!”
Turning slightly to face her ministers as they stood behind her, Persad-Bissessar said, “Some might vex with me, but I will stick firmly to that.”
Adding to her rationale for making that decision, “And I will tell you why, ministers have a housing allowance paid for by the State. If you want a house in town, pay your own rent! You all agree? Pay your rent. Why must the taxpayer pay your rent when they can’t pay their own rent? They don’t even have a place to stay.
“And they all agreed today, maybe they didn’t like what I said, but they agreed and I will keep them to it,” she added.
“We have to cut costs,” the Prime Minister underscored.
Persad-Bissessar said the country is not large and her members can drive.
“Even Point Fortin, given the highway, we had begun which we shall certainly complete, what is it now? 45 minutes? Morgua, Miss (Jearlean) John, you have plenty of work to do for Moruga and Mayaro. The other night I attended a meeting in Moruga and I asked ‘which road is this, please?’ and they said ‘Papourie Road’. I said, but this is not a road, it is a drain.”