Tyrone Reid, Enterprise Reporter

While rental for privately owned housing is going through the roof, government-owned houses in up-market neighbourhoods are being rented below market rates to dozens of public officials, including several Members of Parliament of the governing People's National Party.

Official documents, obtained through the Access to Information Act, show that Cabinet ministers, junior ministers, Permanent Secretaries and at least one PNP candidate are among 39 'public officials' paying below-market rate rentals for state-owned houses. And, one foreign service officer pays no rent.

Two other such officers, who enjoyed a similar arrangement, recently vacated the premises they occupied.

Citing security concerns, Lois Edwards-Bourne, director of corporate legal services at the National Land Agency (NLA), refused to tell where the houses are located.

Government not seeking profit

However, investigations carried out by The Sunday Gleaner reveal that many of the houses are located in the upscale sections of St. Andrew, such as Norbrook, Waterworks, Liguanea, Barbican, New Kingston and Mona.

Elizabeth Stair, commissioner of lands and CEO at the NLA, tells The Sunday Gleaner that the Government is not seeking to profit from the houses. She says that the houses are maintained in order for the Government to carry out its work efficiently.

In addition to the foreign service officer who lives for free, three persons are occupying properties for less than $10,000 per month, while 22 of their counterparts are paying between $10,000 and $15,000 monthly.

Edwards-Bourne explains to The Sunday Gleaner that public servants "generally pay between 25 per cent and 50 per cent of the rental value". Commissioner Stair confirmed this, and added that this has been the practice for several years now, and is based on a Cabinet decision.

tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com

Facts