Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs has gone mum on the issue of ministerial housing rentals while the country’s chief financial officer, Finance Minister Winston Jordan refuses to explain who approved the expenditure.
Isaacs had previously revealed that an administrative decision was made to rent living accommodations for out-of-town Ministers at a maximum cost of $500,000 per month. He had however not revealed who made this decision and has since said that he will no longer be commenting publicly on the matter.
“As a senior public servant I do not believe it is in the best interest of my office to continue to comment on this issues which has become politicized in the public domain,” he told Stabroek News yesterday.
He referred this newspaper to a letter he wrote to the editor which was published in yesterday’s edition as his last public word on the issue.
This letter and one written in response to a letter from Opposition Member of Parliament, Anil Nandlall, stated that an administrative decision was made to rent living quarters for Junior Minister of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes at a price tag of $500,000 per month as there is no constitutional provision for rentals for a minister.
A second letter from Nandlall seeking additional answers on the decision maker on the $500,000 rental has also received no response beyond an acknowledgment of receipt.
Last evening this newspaper once again sought to ascertain who made this administrative decision by asking the Minister of Finance. Jordan however refused to answer any question on the issue.
“I won’t answer those questions. It is not my domain. I only answer questions which fit into my domain. Matters to do with Members of Parliament and Ministers are within the purview of the Parliament Office,” he said.
Asked to state if as the Minister in charge of the country’s budget he ever approved a budgetary provision for such allowances, Jordan responded “I don’t care how often you ask it. I won’t answer.”
In his letters Isaacs had noted that that the law only treats with the payment of salaries and allowances of ministers, members of the National Assembly and the holders of certain officers. Since the rental is not an allowance it was dealt with administratively. He said that depending on the cost of the rent, approval of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) is also obtained but did not go into explaining why.
“The rental of a house for a minister is not an allowance. Therefore, there is no statutory/constitutional provision or order authorizing same” Isaacs stated.
Isaacs’ recent disclosure to Stabroek News on the house rentals for Broomes and Minister Valerie Patterson has sparked consternation over the $500,000 per month ceiling. These rentals, he has said, pertain only to ministers from out of town. It has however been pointed out that Broomes was living in Georgetown at the time of her appointment as a minister. Two other ministers are expected to also benefit from the same $500,000 per month facility.
Isaacs had been asked on Monday by this newspaper to explain how Parliament Office had rented a house for Broomes for the sum of $500,000 a month if the ministerial house allowance was capped at $25,000. Asked if the allowance had been increased, Isaacs said an increase to allow a maximum rent of $500,000 had been approved.
He has since clarified that the increase is only for rental of houses for ministers who are from outside of Georgetown. The housing allowance remains $25,000 for all other ministers. Broomes who hails from the Region 7 town of Bartica was living in Georgetown up to the time she joined the APNU+AFC government.
This newspaper understands that she was at the time renting and when given the portfolio she now holds was offered a place in Echilibar Villas – the government flats – but refused it.
Following this newspaper’s report, Nandlall wrote Isaacs on Tuesday seeking clarity to a number of questions.
Isaacs was asked to provide the statutory/constitutional provision or order which authorized such use of public monies and for copies of any other rental contracts for living accommodations for ministers of the government entered into by the Parliament Office/Clerk of the National Assembly.
According to the Ministers, Members of the National Assembly and Special Offices (Emoluments) Act, the Prime Minister, Senior Ministers and Attorney General are each entitled to occupy, free of rent, a furnished residence provided by the government or in lieu thereof to be paid a house allowance.
Nandlall made reference to his own pending case about the 14 law books saying that it was the main reason he sought to query the actions.
“You must be aware that the decision of an Executive President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana to grant certain concessions to a most senior functionary of his Cabinet and senior Minister of Government and Attorney General, as part of the latter’s contract of service, resulted in the institution of a criminal charge which is still pending. Hence my queries,” he told Isaacs.
