Rowley firm on Roystonia

Minister of Housing, Dr Keith Rowley, stood firm in his charges that the National Housing Authority (NHA) got nothing in its Roystonia joint venture with Hanover Construction Company (HCC). At last Thursday’s post-Cabinet news conference Rowley had said the NHA under the former UNC government had granted vast lands and millions of dollars for access-roads and drainage for the project but had since seen no profit, which HCC had instead reinvested in the project.

But Friday HCC chairman, Anand Persad, countered that his was a reputable company and dismissed talk of $325 million profits. Contacted yesterday, an assertive-sounding Dr Rowley stood by his claims. He declared: “I don’t make statements loosely. I am a responsible officer of the State.” Asked to reply to Persad’s rebuttal, Rowley said he was not going to engage in a public debate with the contractor. “Talk to the NHA,” he urged, sounding busy. He explained he had brought up the issue on Thursday because of Opposition charges that the current Government was allocating for housing some lands of the former Caroni (1975) Limited.

“They were trying to confuse the issue. I said Caroni land was being used long before our Government’s housing programme. Caroni land was given to the NHA in 1991 (under the UNC), and passed on to a contractor under the agreement.” The Opposition was alleging the Government was taking Caroni lands for housing in places like Carlsen Field and Roystonia, but these allocations had already been made under the UNC regime, he charged. “All we did was build,” he added.