PPP proposes to rent Red House, govt. yet to make decision

Apr 25, 2016 News

“The Red House matter is one we feel very strongly about,” said Attorney General Basil Williams. However, he indicated that an agreement is yet to be reached as to what is next.
The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has been accused of hijacking the previously state-owned historical building previously called Red House. It has since been renamed the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre.
The PPP/C administration spent tens of millions of dollars over the years to renovate the building which remained state property until 2012. During that year, a company was established named ‘Cheddi Jagan Research Inc.’ and the building was leased by the PPP government to that company.
At the time the Board of the company included top executives of the PPP, such as Geoffrey Da Silva, the late Janet Jagan, the then President Donald Ramotar, James Rose, Michael Khan, Hydar Ally and Ralph Ramkarran, among others.
The lease agreement has duration of 99 years at a cost of only $1000 monthly.
This will add up to $12,000 per year and $1,188,000 over the 99-year period. This will not be even a quarter of what was spent to build, renovate and maintain the building over the years. When this was first announced, the impression was given that government would have made moves to recover the property.

Cheddi Jagan Research Centre

However, Williams said that the government is still negotiating with the PPP.
He said that the government wants the centre to house information on all the nine Presidents of Guyana as opposed to only Jagan.
“It is not really feasible to have one past President…It is selfishness,” said Williams.
He said that a team from Government met with the Board and discussed several possibilities.
The Minister said that it is being hoped that the PPP will show some form of “maturity in the matter…we believe that information on all nine (Presidents) should be there.”
Williams also indicated that the PPP has proposed to rent the property from the government. In this regard he said, “The matter is still being considered but you must remember it is state land and the President has authority over state lands.”