While Government reviews the Chief Personnel Officer’s (CPO) decision to approve the monthly $28,000 housing allowance given to the President, questions have arisen over whether President Anthony Carmona’s current Flagstaff Hill quarters are fully “suitable alternative accommodation.” Attorney Gregory Delzin said yesterday the Salaries Review Commission (SRC) report is very clear that the President is to be provided with accommodation that suits his office and where suitable alternative accommodation isn’t available, he is to be paid the monthly allowance.
Delzin spoke yesterday after recent reports about the controversial tax-free housing allowance, which is being paid in addition to the President being accommodated at temporary quarters while the cottage at President’s House is being renovated. Public service head Reynold Cooper has said that in 2013, the secretary to the President asked the CPO to provide “an interpretation” on the payment of the allowance, as contained in a 2009 Finance Ministry circular under the past PNM administration. The CPO, Stephanie Lewis, approved the housing allowance in July 2013, even though the President was receiving state housing.
Both the Finance and Public Administration Ministers, to whom the CPO reports on finance and policy matters, have said they were unaware of the issue and the CPO’s action. Finance Minister Larry Howai’s communications officer Cheryl Lala didn’t reply to an e-mailed query yesterday. Public Administration Minister Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan, who says the CPO didn’t get guidance from her at any point, said a review of the process in the situation was now taking place. Seepersad-Bachan said her ministry had jurisdiction over issues, such as allowances and other perks, and similar issues were also handled by Finance.
While the review is ongoing, it is premature to comment,” she added. Other government officials said there needed to be an examination of the facts of the matter at the time it arose, when it was done, when the allowance started, the basis for it and examination of any temporary accommodation offered. They said review should also include whether Cabinet approval should have been granted for the allowance, in order for it to be provided for in the budget, rather than the CPO’s approval alone.
No comment from AG
Attorney General Anand Ramlogan yesterday refused to comment on the Chief Personnel Officer’s (CPO) approval of a $28,000 monthly housing allowance which has been paid to President Anthony Carmona while he lives in state-provided housing at Flagstaff Hill. It was reported last week that Carmona and his accompanying staff occupies four townhouse units at Flagstaff.
In a media conference yesterday, Ramlogan said the question of the monthly allowance was one that should be discussed with the CPO or the Office of the President. He added: “The Government really had little or no role in the matter. In fact we learned about it through the media. “I can tell you that at the time that was done, I don’t know what considerations would have occurred to the CPO and the Government does not want to speculate on a situation that it is not clear about.” Ramlogan said the Government needed to operate under the constitutional lines of demarcation and the CPO was an independent office holder.
No comment from CPO, SRC
There were no replies from the CPO’s office. The CPO is secretary to the SRC. SRC head Edward Collier declined comment, saying: “We make recommendations and those are contained in the report. We don’t comment.”
Cottage ready soon
Works Minister Suruj Rambachan said the Housing Ministry was preparing the cottage on the grounds of the President’s official residence and it was expected to be available for occupation soon.
It is expected to be cordoned off from the renovation work still to start on President’s House, where a dilapidation survey is being done before tenders for the job are issued. Part of the roof of the 19th-century President’s House collapsed in May 2010.
SRC provision
The SRC report allows for “official residences fully furnished and maintained by the State with the necessary complement of household staff. Where the official residence is not available for use by the President and suitable alternative accommodation is not provided, an allowance of $28,000 a month is paid.”
Lawyer: No space for functions at Flagstaff
Attorney Delzin, however, said the issue was being blown out of proportion and the section in the SRC was clear. “It says the President is to be provided with accommodation that suits his office and where ‘suitable alternative accommodation’ is not available, he is to be paid the housing allowance.” Delzin argued that although the President and his family were housed at Flagstaff Hill, “even if it is state-owned, Flagstaff cannot be considered equivalent to President’s House.”
He said under the SRC’s stipulations, the situation would demand that one asks several questions, such as whether the President could hold various types of functions at Flagstaff, as he would have at President’s House. “Can he host world leaders there, can he have state banquets there, can he carry out the functions of his office there that President’s House would demand (apart from administrative issues), can he hold cocktail parties or receptions at Flagstaff, or host scholarship winners?” he asked.
Delzin added: “The allowance is not the President’s call. It is the terms and conditions contained in the SRC report as laid in Parliament and that informs/guides the Chief Personnel Officer as to what the office-holder is entitled to or not. “The situation is decided by the State when it applies the law. “When I look at some of the comments being made on this, I can only conclude that they didn’t read the SRC report and that the comments are mischievous.”