Rowley promises NHA VSEP soon

As he presented the Bill to establish the HDC in the House of Represen-tatives yesterday, the minister said daily and monthly paid employees of the NHA are represented by the National Union of Government and Federated Workers (NUGFW) and the Public Services Association (PSA) respectively. He said 17 meetings have been held so far with both unions on the VSEP offer, and they were "close to an agreement on the matter." He said those who do not accept the VSEP offer would have the option to join the HDC "on no less favourable terms and conditions," or become redundant. He said after two years of the establishment of the HDC, a pension plan has to be put on stream.

In preparation for the move from NHA to HDC, Dr Rowley said Cabinet had already approved the regularisation of 50 temporary positions, which some persons had been holding for "a very long time," as well as an organisational chart, job descriptions and salary scales which have been passed to the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO).

"We are well prepared to bring the HDC into being," he boasted.

Dr Rowley said once the legislation is passed and assented too, all the assets of the NHA will go to the HDC.

In terms of the composition of the HDC Board, Dr Rowley said there will be no more than nine members, and no director will be allowed to serve more than two terms, but they can be reappointed. A director’s appointment can also be terminated at any time.

Dr Rowley said the NHA has been doing extremely well in carrying out Government’s policies on housing as it continued to address the chronic housing shortfall through "public sector housing." He said on any given day, hundreds of persons can be found at NHA and the ministry trying to get a house, and he had received hundreds of letters from persons expressing varying pleas for houses.

Debate on the Bill was, however, adjourned to a date to be fixed as the incorrect draft of the legislation was circulated to members.