‘Baseless’…Holness questions motives behind auditor general finding about social housing programme

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness is questioning the motives behind an auditor general finding that his flagship housing programme for poor Jamaicans is offering duplicated services.

 

Holness called the finding baseless and unfair.

 

The New Social Housing Programme (NSHP), established in 2018 by Holness, is one of several flagged by Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis for offering duplicated services in need of reform.

 

The programme is one of six identified by Monroe Ellis in her 64-page performance audit report on the management of the Government's social benefit programme.

READ:AuG paints PM's social housing programme as duplicated use of resources

These are the poor relief programme and the Municipal Social Assistance Programme (MSAP), administered by the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC), a rehabilitation programme under the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS), the Social Housing Programme (SHP) and the NSHP managed by the MEGJC, and the Constituency Development Fund operated through the Office of the Prime Minister.

 

“We found that the various social programmes had similar objectives and overlapping functions, covering parts or the same areas of interest, with little or no coordination in the distribution of said benefits,” Monroe Ellis said in the report.

The report stated that between 2018 and 2024, the social housing budget allocation totalled $677.7 million, while the NSHP was allocated $3.4 billion.

Speaking today in Sommerton, St James at the handing over of a social house, the Prime Minister rejected the finding about the New Social Housing Programme.

 

"There is a saying by a wise philosopher 'never put down to malice what could be put down to ignorance and incompetence'. I don't know why this finding would be levied against a programme that is delivering well-needed benefits to the people of Jamaica," he said.

 

Holness asserted that the housing programme has been properly managed and that there have been no questions about misappropriation or corruption.

"The New Social Housing Programme has not spent $3.4 billion to date. That is incorrect and untrue," said Holness.

However, the auditor general's report stated the sum was allocated not that that amount was spent.

He stated that the government has, among other things, a mandate to provide housing, which is undertaken by different entities such as the Ministries of Housing, Local Government, and Labour and Social Security, actions for which are supported by statutes such as the Housing Act and the Poor Relief Act.

 

He argued that the work of each entity is different and has different mandates.

 

He stated that Jamaicans accessing more than one benefit from the Government should not be necessarily viewed as duplication.

 

He argued that persons in need may turn to more than one state entity for help and that the Government, as a policy, does not believe in denying benefits to its citizens.

 

“We have seen situations where persons might get a benefit under the CDF (Constituency Development Fund), that benefit might be $50,000, relative to their overall need of say $500,000 to repair their roof. They may seek to go to local government or they may seek to come to the Ministry of Housing, is that a duplication? And should they be deprived?”

 

“We have established a very robust beneficiary identification system. That system works very well in the PATH programme, it works very well in the New Social Housing Programme, it works very well in the CDF and it works very well in the local government,” he added.

 

“This notion that somehow the public interest is being defeated by there being multiple windows is absolute nonsense and I wish to point out that not because there are multiple windows to access a benefit it doesn't mean that there is duplication or inefficiency.

 

“In as much as possible the processes are integrated at the backend because there is collaboration and because there is robust checking,” Holness declared.

 

The Prime Minister stated that the New Social Housing Programme has done very well, citing the delivery of 300 units with the intention to expand the rate of delivery.

 

“We have done so without any hint of misallocation, misappropriation, without any form of corruption.”

 

Holness said he found the auditor general's finding concerning and that he will be reviewing the report and responding.

 

Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.