Patterson and Holness ANDREW HOLNESS, Jamaica Labour Party spokesman on Land and Community Development, yesterday accused Prime Minister P.J. Patterson of politicising the National Housing Trust.
He made the charge in commenting on a letter being sent out by the Prime Minister, informing individual NHT mortgagors of policy changes to make home-ownership more affordable.
"I don't think it's appropriate. It's a cheap attempt to politicise housing benefits through the NHT," Mr. Holness said. He says the Prime Minister should have stayed away from actions that could be considered attempts to use a state agency as a political tool, given the fact that the country was heading into a general election.
In the letter dated June 17, Mr. Patterson reiterated changes to the NHT's housing policies aimed at reducing interest rates to borrowers. As of April 1, 2002, all new borrowers earning less than $2,000 per week will get loans at two per cent interest. Those who were repaying interests on loans at between 10 and 12 per cent will have the charges reduced to nine per cent, while those who were paying at eight per cent will now pay a seven per cent interest rate.
"I urge you to honour your responsibility as a mortgagor of the NHT and to protect and treasure your investment," states the Prime Minister, who has responsibility for the NHT.
Kingsley Thomas, chairman of the NHT, dismissed the suggestion that the Trust was being politicised by the actions of the Prime Minister. He said that the Prime Minister was instrumental in the shaping of the new policy and, therefore, had not acted inappropriately in associating himself with the new changes.
"I honestly don't think it is outside of the norm," Mr. Thomas said.
He said he took full responsibility for the letter, noting that the idea had come from him. In addition to the Prime Minister's letter, he said the NHT would also be writing to mortgagors detailing the policy changes that have been made and how they will benefit mortgagors.
"The NHT has never been used as a political football," Mr. Thomas said.
