TAJ declares $1b retrofit to Manchester rental ‘necessary’ to better serve public
Published:Thursday | May 30, 2024 | 12:11 AM
Following Tuesday’s announcement that Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) will be spending $1 billion to retrofit the property it leased in Greenvale, Manchester, the tax body has provided details on the proposed expenditure as it argues that the upgrade work is necessary.
The revelation of the planned $1-billion spend had triggered concern around the Government’s decision to spend a significant sum on a building it did not own.
However, in a statement yesterday, TAJ said the building was being retrofitted to provide expanded and improved services to central Jamaica, including Clarendon, Manchester, and St Elizabeth.
“Currently, the Revenue Authority is serving the taxpayer population in that section of the island from two geographically separate locations, which significantly reduces its output to members of the surrounding communities,” TAJ said in its release. “These retrofitting measures include upgrade to the facilities, environmentally sound considerations, and digital capacities required of a modern day tax facility.”
To replace two locations
On completion, the new Revenue Service Centre (RSC) in Mandeville will replace two tax locations at South Race Course and Caledonia Avenue.”
The TAJ said the facility would provide a larger capacity with seated service and a queue-management system for customers. It will also provide an environmentally friendly facility for electricity efficiency and lower daily maintenance.
“Given the growth in the volume of transactions at the tax offices that serve Mandeville and surrounding communities, it is necessary to engage in a comprehensive upgrade in order to better serve the public,” the TAJ said.
“With over 250,000 payment transactions plus other services yearly, the customer experience at the existing locations in Mandeville is restricted to standing room only inside the tax office, with customers sometimes having to wait outside, seated under tents and exposed to the elements. Hence the need to replace the tax office with a full-service Revenue Service Centre similar to the Revenue Service Centre at Constant Spring in St Andrew, with adequate waiting areas inside and sufficient parking space outside.”
The location will allow for increased parking from 25 to 250 spaces.
It will also have expanded e-services to include a state-of-the-art e-Ffiling facility.
According to TAJ, the unique requirements of the Revenue Service Centre in Mandeville dictate that a number of preparations have to be made to be fully functional. These include demolition works, substructure, walls and partitions, structural steel framing, installation of windows, floor, wall, ceiling finishes, and joinery.
TAJ indicated that costs to make the facility habitable will include the acquisition of fixtures and furnishing; sanitary fitting and plumbing; mechanical, electrical and plumbing; structured cabling; and air-conditioning systems.
“Tax Administration Jamaica reiterates that the GOJ (Government of Jamaica) procurement process requires a signed lease for property before commencing the procurement to engage technical and contracting services for works,” the agency said.
According to TAJ, the new lease arrangement will be advantageous to the GOJ as the cost per square footage is less than what is currently being paid by the tax body in Mandeville.