Controversy continues to envelop the Sussex Street Drug Bond, as the Ministry of Public Health has budgeted $150M for the full year’s rent for 2017 when it was expected that the government would negotiate a lower rental and eventually exit the much criticised arrangement.
Questions were lobbed at Minister of Public Health, Dr George Norton on Tuesday night in the Supply Committee of the National Assembly on the drug bond after PPP/C Member of Parliament Dr Frank Anthony pointed out that rental of buildings in 2016 was budgeted at $18.2M as compared to the figure of $180M in 2017.
Anthony inquired as to what buildings were being rented for the “exorbitant” figure, to which Norton replied, “Mr. Chairman, one of the buildings would be that which is being used to house the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), the other is for another building in Queenstown and the third building for the drug storage bond.”
