A state-of-the-art building will be constructed next year to house the Department of Energy, State Minister Joseph Harmon disclosed yesterday during the consideration of the estimates of the Ministry of the Presidency’s Petroleum and Energy Management Programme.
Responding to questions from the opposition, he stated that the sum of $100M has been allocated and work would begin in the first half of the new year.
This sum is included in the $424M which is allocated in the 2019 budget and which was approved by the Committee of Supply.
Questions on this budgetary allocations came mainly from opposition MPs Juan Edghill and Irfaan Ali.
Edghill who was the first to ask questions noted that the opposition welcomes this new department as the country prepares for first oil.
In responding to the questions asked, Harmon said that the staff employed under this programme thus far are the deputy coordinator, petroleum geologist and legal officer. He said that $30M has been budgeted for security services for the new building. The highest salary is $530, 000 while the lowest is $320, 000.
Meanwhile the Committee of Supply also approved the $263M capital expenditure and the $1.316B current expenditure allocated for Environmental Management and Compliance.
