WESTERN BUREAU:

Disputing yesterday's Sunday Gleaner report about millions spent on a makeover of his office, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says 75 per cent of the money spent on his New Kingston offices made it more energy-efficient.

Bartlett said in a statement issued last night that of the nearly $8 million spent, the fees of the National Works Agency (NWA) amounted to $422,403.

"In order to fully facilitate the air-conditioning work carried out by the NWA, the partitions and related structures had to be modified, and this is where the work of CP Specialists came in, at a cost of $3,971,205. Additionally, the building's owners, Jamaica Property Company, were paid $2,417,289.13 million for the changes to the premises."

He said modifications were made to such things as air conditioning in order to reduce costs or the recurrent expenditure would have been significantly higher.

"The Ministry of Tourism is in full compliance with energy-saving measures being implemented in the public sector," Bartlett said.

Accusing the newspaper of intending to evoke public anger and contempt, he said, "The realities informing the expenditure have not been exposed in the story."

In relation to the remaining 25 per cent spent on his executive leather chair, blinds, decorative paintings and upholstering, he said that most of the furnishings in his office were reupholstered and refinished, not obtained new.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com