Edmond Campbell, Senior Staff Reporter

THE BOARD and senior management of the National Housing Trust (NHT) have come out strongly against a recommendation by the Public Sector Transformation Unit (PSTU) that the trust be placed under the Ministry of Water and Housing, citing fears that contributors could be adversely affected.

This move, according to the NHT board, could compromise the original mandate of the trust, which is to provide housing solutions to its contributors.

NHT Chairman Howard Mitchell, who appeared before the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) of Parliament yesterday, cautioned against the PSTU's proposal.

"We feel that the temptation for conflict will be great if you place an entity which is funded by compulsory contribution from a segment of the society side by side with a sectoral entity which has a charge and a mandate for the service of the overall housing needs of the country," he said.

The PSTU proposal, which is intended to bring under one umbrella all housing and development functions, was debated yesterday at a meeting of the PAAC in Gordon House.

In a document presented to the committee, the NHT said it viewed the proposal with concern and unease.

The trust's board and management argued that the proposed transfer would neither reduce cost nor create greater efficiency at the NHT.

In its submission to the committee, the housing entity raised concern that the minister of housing would be given supervising authority over the well-funded NHT and the underfunded social housing programmes.

Arguing that this could create a conflict of interest, the NHT contended that the supervision of these two areas could possibly influence the minister to act on behalf of the social housing mandate by imposing requirements on the trust that did not accrue to its beneficiaries. This, the trust added, could lead to a breach of the NHT's mandate.

"Moreover, we see it as a structure that promotes self-dealing, as the minister with control over the trust could influence it to improperly enter into transactions with another segment of the ministry's mandate," the document stated.

Responding to the NHT's position, committee member Fitz Jackson supported the PSTU's suggestion.

He indicated that if the housing ministry should be given responsibility for the NHT, the minister would have to obey the provisions in law that govern the trust.

However, Mitchell made it clear that he was not casting aspersions on any minister or any Cabinet member by raising the concerns.

"... Human nature is such that conflict, if it is not hemmed about with restraint, will cause evil. That's human nature, it doesn't repose in politicians and members of parliament," he said.

Putting an alternative recommendation on the table, the NHT chairman advocated that the trust be made a creature of Parliament. He also proposed that the NHT could be made a legal foundation with trustees appointed by the governor general.

"We feel that the fitness for purpose and the relevance of the trust would be better preserved in one of these alternative positions," said Mitchell.

edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com