Despite the Ministry of Public Health having stated its intention to end the contract for the rental of the controversial Sussex Street bond, Minister Volda Lawrence confirmed last night that budgetary allocations have been made for its rental for the entire year of 2018.
During the consideration of the 2018 budget estimates yesterday, PPP/C Member of Parliament Dr Frank Anthony questioned Lawrence on what the budgetary allocation for the line item 6241 (Rental of Buildings) under the Policy Development and Administration Pro-gramme, at a total sum of $180.3 million, was going towards.
Lawrence subsequently explained that the figure was budgeted to cater for the rental of four buildings. She further explained that a building was being rented for the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at a rate of $25,000 per month, a building in Queenstown for displaced staff from a health facility at Liliendaal at a rate of $1.5 million per month, another that is pegged at 1.5 million but is still to be negotiated, and the rental of the Sussex Street drug bond at a rate of $12.5 million per month.
