The National Housing Corporation (NHC) is being asked to account for over Bds$40 million received in monthly advances without parliamentary approval.
A former NHC chairman is being summoned to appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) as it investigates these advances to NHC from the Ministry of Finance, as well as a string of anomalies that were brought to light in Wednesday’s first public meeting of the PAC.
The committee, chaired by Opposition Leader Mia Mottley, had summoned three top Government officials attached to the Ministry of Housing and the NHC following concerns expressed in the Auditor General’s Report about the submission of NHC audits for 2008-2011. Under intense questioning from Mottley in the Senate Chamber, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Housing, Ronald Bascombe, NHC general manager Lanette Napoleon-Young, financial controller Carolyn Barton?and chief legal officer Henrietta Bourne-Forde admitted that the corporation had substantially increased its staff in the last six years, had rejected a bid by a construction firm in favour of another company charging B$5 million more, and was insolvent.
