Falmouth’s TAJ building finally ready

WESTERN BUREAU:

The $136-million Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) building in Falmouth, Trelawny, which has missed several completion deadlines dating back to August 2017, is scheduled to be opened in November.

According to Meris Haughton, the corporate communication officer at TAJ, everything is now in place to ensure that another deadline is not missed.

"All is in place for our relocation from our temporary offices on King Street to our new building on Cornwall Street," Haughton told The Gleaner yesterday. "Prior to opening, we will close offices for two days at King Street to facilitate a smooth transition."

Sandra McNeil Rowe, of TAJ's National Library, said the TAJ has changed locations in Falmouth several times so they are really looking forward to moving into what will be their permanent home.

"We once occupied Tharp House at the end of Tharp Street, then Seaboard Street. Our next location was Hampden Wharf, which is now being transformed into an Artisan Village," explained Rowe. "For the last two years, King Street, compliments of The Baptist Church, was where we operated. The new building on Cornwall Street will be our permanent home."

The new building, which is 4,700 square feet in dimension, conforms to the dictates of The National Heritage Trust. According to Falmouth businessman Richard Shirley, the new building is a welcome addition to the landscape of the seaside town.

"I wish that contractors, who, because of their tardiness, cause delays in the completion of buildings, should be made to pay. Until such time, they will not respect their obligations," said Shirley, in reference to the many missed deadlines. "It is a welcome addition to the town."

With a settled home, Haughton is quite optimism that, with the new building, which is equipped with ramp facilities for the physically challenged and adequate parking space for clients, the TAJ is now ready to offer the best-quality service possible.