Following the announcement by Minister in the Ministry of Communities, Valerie Patterson that she would be visiting Poland on the invitation of a housing developer there, sources say that the Board of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) is unaware of the purpose of her visit.
Patterson was reported by the Guyana Chronicle on Monday last as informing of a fully paid for visit to Poland by a housing developer there. She had pointed out that the housing developer was footing the CH&PA’s team’s expenses for travel as they were eager to show hands-on the types of housing projects they had executed in their country.
Patterson had also made clear that there were no commitments to the Polish company and her travel there was simply to observe.
“It is just like the Surinamese developer who invited us there [to Suriname] to see their model homes…After expressing interest in doing work here, they wanted us to see what they have done in their home country,” Patterson was quoted in the report as saying.
However, sources close to the CH&PA have said that the Board is unaware of not only Patterson’s trip but also that a Polish company had been expressing interest in undertaking works for the agency.
The Board is also still not aware that it has been dissolved since December 31st 2016, six months earlier than the date stipulated; June 30th 2017.
That early dissolution announcement was made this month by Minister of State Joseph Harmon but confused members told Stabroek News that they had met in January and were supposed to have met again last Thursday.
However, last Thursday’s meeting saw an impromptu cancellation as the Secretary of the Board informed all members that the meeting was called off and they would be notified as to the way forward soon.
Sources told this newspaper that several of the members are confused since Chairman of the Board, Hamilton Green was still signing documents in that capacity as of last Wednesday.
When Stabroek News contacted Green yesterday he would only say that he was still unaware of the Board’s dissolution.
Harmon had told a Post Cabinet Press Briefing on February, 2nd 2017, that as part of government’s plan to establish an age requirement for persons who sit on state boards, agencies and commissions, Green would not be asked to return.
“Government at the end of 2016 did a review of all boards and commissions in this country which affect the life and livelihood of Guyanese people. [And], in particular, the CH&PA [which is responsible] for the whole housing development, the whole housing thrust moving forward, that is an area which is of concern to the government and the government has taken steps where that is concerned,” Harmon had explained.
“We as a country have to strike a balance where efficiency is concerned, where a person’s age is concerned. We do not believe age is a deterrent in and of itself but the fact that we have so many younger persons who are there, competent as well to carry out these duties, we believe that they ought to be given a chance. It is no disrespect and disregard to the work of these individuals [who held the posts] but we have to provide upward mobility within the system,” he added.
Green had assured Stabroek News that he would not fight government’s decision. “I am physically fit and have the experience but if this is the decision I will abide by it. I have an implicit trust in the perspicacity of the Cabinet and I will continue to use my energies and experience and to work assiduously to advance the wellbeing of my party and the coalition,” Green said.
The former Mayor of Georgetown was appointed as the Chair of the CH&PA board in October, 2015 following the election of current Mayor, Patricia Chase-Green.
But he too had noted that only Wednesday he and two of the ministers attached to the Ministry of Communities were working to develop an aggressive housing programme.
Some sources said that while the Board was unaware of its purported dissolving by government and the Poland trip by Patterson, government was briefed on the latter matter and it was the government which gave Patterson the “go ahead”.
Some expressed their perplexity and even questioned the timing of the announcing of the dissolving of the Board by the Minister of State and Patterson’s visit to Poland; a decision they said would have “certainly been scrutinized with a fine teeth comb” by the Board.
One past Board member questioned why a team of engineers did not accompany Patterson as the technicalities of the Polish company’s building construction methods would have been better received and questioned. “She will visit and see yes but will she be able to ask the critical engineering questions? And even if she does asks prepared questions, will she be able to follow up with answers given? I doubt so very much,” one source said.
