$120 million to fix HDC units

The Housing Ministry and the Government have had to spend millions of dollars to do over work done and the ministry has had to spend over $120 million to do repair and refurbishment work on housing units constructed over the years. This was revealed by Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal during a news conference at the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) head office, South Quay, Port-of-Spain, yesterday. He said this was allowed to happen because of the nonconformance to building codes which could result to injury and loss of life, and the inefficiencies in public institutions as highlighted by the Uff Inquiry recommendations. The minister said prior to 2010, HDC and the Urban Development Corporation of TT (UDeCOTT), had been identified as institutions with “very poor management, inferior human resource and supervisory capacity.”

He said the “new” HDC has implemented 95 percent of the recommendations from the Uff Commission of Inquiry.

Moonilal said Cabinet had, in 2012 approved funding of $9 million for the development of a building code in 2013. The code would establish a set of minimum standards for the protection, health, safety and welfare of citizens of TT.

“It was agreed that we adopt a code and pay a fee for a licencing agreement for the use of proprietary material now made available to the Government of TT. The committee has developed a national code and schedule for the production of a national building code that would allow for its delivery within six months and its implementation thereafter,” he said.

Moonilal added that the building code would standardise building methods and materials, and improve the resilience of the built environment and minimise losses due to man made and natural disasters. He said it would also level all the playing field as all construction companies and professionals would have a base document to comply with their tendering and method statements ensuring consistent quality.

Moonilal said Cabinet had also approved $US27,000 in the budget for the national building code committee for licencing fees and other related expenses for the International Code Council (ICC) to visit TT for the signing of a historic agreement and the furtherance of the work of the committee.

Chairman of the Cabinet Appointed National Building Code Committee, Shyankaran Lalla, said the fatalities and destruction brought to poignant light during coverage of the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile highlighted how well enforced building codes could reduce the loss of life and homes.