‘Untenable’: Young Jamaica wants Dennis Gordon to resign over UHWI tax exemption controversy

Young Jamaica, the youth arm of the governing Jamaica Labour Party, is calling for the resignation of Opposition Member of Parliament Dennis Gordon following confirmation that his company, JACDEN Limited, is one of the entities that benefited from the University Hospital of the West Indies’ (UHWI) misuse of its tax exempt status to import items for the entities.

In a statement on Wednesday, Young Jamaica said it took note of confirmation during Tuesday’s sitting of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that JACDEN Limited was among the multimillion-dollar beneficiaries of what the Auditor General previously described as the unlawful and inappropriate use of UHWI’s tax-exempt status.

Gordon, who is also Chairman for Region 3 of the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) and Member of Parliament for East Central St Andrew, is the owner and chairman of JACDEN Limited.

According to disclosures at the PAC, JACDEN used the hospital’s tax exemption to purchase and import items, including dialysis machines, which were reportedly transported directly to the company’s premises.

An audit report found that UHWI improperly utilised its tax-exempt status to import goods on behalf of private entities, resulting in unpaid customs duties amounting to $23.1 million.

In a previous statement issued in February, JACDEN Group of Companies maintained that its engagement with UHWI was compliant and that the Auditor General’s findings pointed to administrative and systemic failures within the hospital, not misconduct by the company.

“The report identifies administrative and systemic failures within UHWI’s internal procurement and customs-related processes and does not conclude that JACDEN caused or directed those failures,” the company said, adding that its operations were conducted under formal arrangements and in accordance with applicable procedures.

JACDEN, a healthcare and janitorial services company based in St Andrew, is led by Gordon, who was absent from Tuesday’s PAC meeting despite being a member of the committee.

Young Jamaica argued that the misuse of UHWI’s tax exemption status, now under investigation by the Integrity Commission and the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA), has deprived taxpayers of millions of dollars that could have been used to fund essential public services.

The group further noted that UHWI indicated during the PAC meeting that taxpayers may ultimately bear the cost associated with the breaches.

Against that background, Young Jamaica said Gordon’s continued tenure as a Member of Parliament, PNP Region 3 Chairman, and PAC member is “untenable,” and called for his immediate resignation from all three positions.

The organisation also criticised PNP President Mark Golding, accusing him of failing to act decisively in the matter and questioning his commitment to accountability and good governance.

Additionally, Young Jamaica condemned reports that JACDEN, through its attorneys, sought to have media houses retract reports linking the company to the controversy, describing the move as an affront to press freedom.

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