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Regional Officers live rent free in Government quarters

Feb 15, 2017 News

-should have been paying rent
In an astonishing admission at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting at Parliament on Monday, it was revealed that 27 Region Six officers lived rent free in Government quarters for over a year when they should have been paying rent.
In a bizarre twist, one of the officers has taken the Region to court to continue living at his quarter for free. While Chairman Irfaan Ali found this amusing he said it is unbelievable the lengths some people will go to have their own way.
According to Regional Executive officer, Kim Williams Stephens, the officers have been written to informing them that rent monies will be taken from their earnings commencing March 1.
However PAC chairman, Irfaan Ali questioned why it has taken so long for the matter to be addressed. The issue was flagged by the Auditor General’s Office in 2015. During an audit of the region’s affairs it was found that 72 residential buildings were occupied by officers of the Region; however the Regional administration was not in receipt of rents from the occupants.
Additionally, region officials could not say if any of the properties were furnished, neither could they verify who were eligible to live rent free.
Stephens explained that she recently took up the current position and she could not say why this was not done.
At this point Ali asked Stephens what position she held before the current one and was told that she was the Audit Manager acting. The Chairman opined that Stephens would have known about the issue. “Is only Shaggy could say it wasn’t me. You can’t say that; you had to know”.
Ali explained that because of the position Stephens held, previously, it was incumbent upon her to have known of this flagrant breach of procedures. The Chairman said that it was unacceptable that people could have been living for free for so long and nothing was done.
Further, the Chairman wanted to know if the officers have responded to the letters. Stephens explained that she did not seek a response since it was made clear what the Region’s next move will be.
It was advised that the relevant departments be written to so that there can be no delay in obtaining these rents. PAC was told that because five of the offending officers are Government Medical Officers, the Ministry of Public Health will be written to ensure the necessary salary adjustments are made.
There are currently 72 Government quarters occupied in Region Five, 27 are required to pay rent, eight properties are furnished and the remaining 19 are unfurnished.
This issue has raised serious questions of accountability by senior officers in the Regions; and why under the watch of a Regional Executive Officer and a Deputy Regional Executive Officer such an issue was not known.
It is believed that this issue may have cheated the government’s purse of over $7M over that period on none payment.

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