Key members of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) have strongly refuted claims of an impending court case over the government’s controversial Home Ownership Providing Energy (HOPE) housing project.
Speaking at the St Michael South Branch meeting at Graydon Sealy School on Sunday, Minister of Housing, Lands and Maintenance Dwight Sutherland directly referred to an article headlined “HOPE Lawsuit: Government Entity Facing Heat Over $64 Million Contract” carried in another section of the media.
“Dispel the notion of a lawsuit, there is no lawsuit coming against HOPE,” he said.
Acknowledging that his ability to comment was limited due to the ongoing investigation into the project, Sutherland explained: “You have to give the Auditor General enough scope and leeway, and you stay out of it for him to do his investigation. I do not come and make certain statements like we see in the daily news today while the Auditor General has not finished his investigation.”
Sutherland clarified that the previous contract between HOPE and prefabricated concrete supplier Preconco was undergoing a process of novation, which involves renegotiating terms between the two parties. He detailed, “Novation simply says that you replace an old obligation or party in a contract with a new one, with the consent of all parties involved, effectively extinguishing the old agreement. That is what is happening right now with the issue at Pool—there is no lawsuit. There is negotiation between Preconco and HOPE.”
The minister also expressed frustration with the narrative in the press: “I am only commenting now because I am responding to an article in the daily news. We have not yet responded to the Auditor General; he does not have a response signed off by HOPE or signed off by the ministry, but yet we are seeing these mischievous statements of a lawsuit circulating.”
Prime Minister Mia Mottley also dismissed the claims made in the media, reiterating: “Not only is there no lawsuit, there is not a pre-action protocol letter that is necessary before you bring any lawsuit against any party in the civil courts of this country.”
Reading from a statement issued by Parliament earlier that day, Mottley declared: “The Parliament of Barbados had not published any report of any special audit on the building programme HOPE by the Auditor General.” She emphasised that Parliament had yet to receive any such report.
Acknowledging concerns about the housing project, Mottley gave this assuance: “We will come to those mistakes when the Auditor General’s report is properly and formally laid, just as we did with East West (Report).”
Supporting Sutherland’s assertions, she said: “Even now with the missteps that have been made in housing, the price of construction is nowhere near the price of construction under the Democratic Labour Party government at Valarie and at Grotto.”
Mottley stressed the importance of following parliamentary procedure. “The Auditor General was able to confirm, as were the members of the Ministry of Housing and HOPE, that the document has on every page inside of it the word draft,” she said.
“In the wrap-up of the debate last year, I committed to a full report and commission.”
Reaffirming her dedication to strengthening the HOPE initiative, Mottley emphasised: “I want to know how HOPE can be improved.” She expressed her vision for a collaborative effort between the public and private sectors to build 2 000 houses per year, contrasting it with the previous administration’s record. “The last administration barely built 700 in ten years in comparison to the 1 300 built in the last three years,” she noted.
Underscoring the principles of fairness and transparency, she said: “If you are going to write a report on anybody, the person must be able to see it and be able to comment on it.” (STT)
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