The Finance Ministry sees it as a matter of urgency to sort out the issue arising from the payment of a $28,000 monthly housing allowance to President Anthony Carmona. Government officials would not say who was to decide whether the allowance should not have been given or whether it should be stopped. An update on the matter may arise at tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting, it was hinted. The President has reportedly been receiving the allowance since last year while occupying state-owned quarters at Flagstaff Hill, St James.
Carmona and the Chief Personnel Officer, Stephanie Lewis, who approved the payment, have been spotlighted amid calls from the Opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) and the Independent Liberal Party (ILP) for Government to halt the payment and for Carmona to “give back the money.” Finance Minister Larry Howai, who has said the housing allowance had never been brought to his attention previously, added: “I am advised the payments are not made by the Finance Ministry, although provision for it would be included in the monthly releases issued by the ministry. “Now having had notice of it, I have asked for independent advice on the matter to guide our response.”
Howai said he had asked the Attorney General Anand Ramlogan for advice and the AG was getting an opinion from the Solicitor General. He added: “The ministry will abide by the advice when it is received. While no exact time-frame has been set the matter is a priority and is being attended to as a matter of urgency.” Ramlogan also said yesterday he could not give a time-frame.
Only seven fit in dining room
Public Administration Minister Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan, who said the issue was being reviewed by her ministry and Finance, said her ministry was the landlord of the Flagstaff units which the President occupies and usually allocated units. She said the Housing Ministry, which is responsible for property management, handled maintenance and repairs. Seepersad-Bachan said the Flagstaff units were normally used to house foreigners working with the Government or other government staff or travelling officers.
The President’s Flagstaff housing is said to include a four-bedroom bungalow where he and his family live, a second single-family house with bedrooms for the aide-de-camp and other staff, and a townhouse for staff and security. Approximately 26 people can be accommodated in the four units. The dining room of the main house can accommodate about seven, it also is understood. Housing Minister Roodal Moonilal said renovation of the cottage at President’s House is expected to be complete next month but the Works Ministry would have to give a timeline on restoration of the main house.
Moonilal: Flagstaff temporary
Yesterday, Housing Minister Roodal Moonilal said the Flagstaff location always was meant as temporary but he said the delay in delivering the cottage was due to the significant renovation and outfitting required and that took some time as did the public procurement processes to ensure proper procedure was used. Moonilal said Udecott had done only minor refurbishment and outfitting to the Flagstaff units, one of which was formerly occupied by former Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs and another by former PNM minister Emily Dick-Forde.
He said work on the Flagstaff units was done in good time but he did not have the cost at hand. He added: “It was to be a situation where the President could move in with his family and ensure the facilities were there but nothing elaborate was done. “The house isn’t designed for banquets or to host leaders of countries or cocktail receptions. It’s simply a dwelling house. It has a yard and no back garden but it is in an upscale residential area,” he added. Asked if the President would be able to live at the cottage while restoration work went on, he said he was sure Works would try to minimise any inconveniences. Since President’s House has been unavailable, the President has used the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) to host functions and for one event, Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s.
Public Service head: Grey area
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar already has in hand a report on the CPO’s involvement from the head of the Public Service, Reynold Cooper, who confirmed the CPO had given her side of the story. While not divulging the report’s contents, Cooper said the CPO was an independent entity and had leeway to interpret ministerial circulars in the context of whatever law or report was approved by Parliament and particularly “grey areas” that may arise. He said the CPO was secretary to the Salaries Review Commission, which formulated the salary/allowance recommendation, and she had the responsibility for interpreting how its terms and conditions were implemented.
He said she had certain powers under the law and in his view also had the power to refer it to the Finance or Public Administration Ministers, who handled finance and policy matters. Giving another personal opinion, Cooper drew an analogy, saying for instance the SRC report prescribes 60 days’ vacation for the President but was silent on sick leave. In such a grey area, if a need for sick leave of more than 14 days arose, the CPO would be called on to say how to treat with that, he explained. He felt the housing-allowance issue was a grey area like that and was silent on certain things and she was called upon to interpret it. Cooper said to his knowledge there had so far been no cases of people being asked to pay back allowances in any similar cases.
CPO Silent
The T&T Guardian sent several questions to the CPO yesterday but communications officer at the CPO’s division Richard Hayde said: “The CPO has no comment on these matters at this time.” Other sources noted several points. Among those was that the CPO’s role was protected by legislation and included a separation from the politicians which would ensure an independent officer dealt with matters such as allowances and remuneration without interference.
It was also noted that it was envisioned the President’s stay at the Flagstaff Hill quarters would be temporary, about six months, and the work on the cottage or restoration of President’s House would have been completed by then. They also said if the US President were put up at the best hotel in the US, it still would not be the White House and would not be suitable for from where the President would function. Sources added that Carmona was not the only official who received the housing allowance. Lastly, they questioned why the issue had now come into focus, a year after the CPO approved it, and when the President had been in the spotlight recently.
Background info
Last year the secretary to the President asked the CPO to provide “an interpretation” on the payment of the allowance, which was stipulated in a 2009 Finance Ministry circular under the past PNM administration. The circular was based on the Salaries Review Commission’s (SRC) recommendation for the allowance to be paid when the official residence, President’s House, is not available for use by the President and suitable alternative accommodation is not provided. In July 2013 the CPO approved the tax-free $28,000 monthly housing allowance. The President was at the time and still is living in state housing at Flagstaff Hill, since the guest “cottage” at President’s House, earmarked for his use, is still being refurbished.