PRESS RELEASE 47/14 For Immediate Release March 19, 2014 GET IT RIGHT CHASTANET, FOR ONCE! The Government of Saint Lucia has taken note of a Press Release issued by the United Workers Party on its decision to acquire a building on the Millennium Highway to house the offices of the Saint Lucia Social Development Fund (SSDF). Once again, Allen Chastanet’s UWP has got its information wrong. The Government of Saint Lucia did not purchase the building for EC$5.0 million dollars as claimed by the UWP but for $3.1 million dollars, that is, $1.9 million less than that claimed by the UWP. As is normal in cases of acquisition of private property, Cabinet also agreed to pay “interest at a rate of six per cent (6%) per annum from March 11, 2013 until payment is made.” The SSDF is expected to incur expenditure of EC$595,259.36 to renovate the building. It is unfortunate that Allen Chastanet has entered the fray by his utterings to the media. Prior to moving into its new location, the Saint Lucia Social Development Fund(SSDF) rented offices at Colony House, a building owned by Michael Chastanet, at a rental of EC$18,572.00 monthly. The SSDF occupied that property from April 01, 2009 to February 21, 2014. In this period, it paid the landlord, Michael Chastanet, a whopping $1,011,102.50 in rent. The taxpayers of this country have gained nothing by paying this enormous amount of rent to Michael Chastanet. If the building is amortized from the date of its acquisition by the monthly rental paid to Colony House, it would mean that at a price of $3.1 million dollars, the taxpayers of this country can own the building in 14 years. Interestingly, before 2007 the SSDF paid rent of $6000.00 monthly but when SSDF moved to the Colony House property that rent increased by $12,500.00 monthly, an increase of 308%. Allen Chastanet was a minister of the UWP at the time. How does he explain an increase of rental of that magnitude? Why was it not poor judgment to have paid this astronomical rent? The UWP says that the decision reinforces its concern that the Prime Minister “is more concerned about making himself more comfortable in Government instead of heeding the cries of Saint Lucians.” Seriously, how does relocating the offices of SSDF make the Prime Minister personally more comfortable? The utterings of Allen Chastanet confirm once again that he is unable to disentangle the interests of his family and himself from the interests of the people of Saint Lucia. Allen Chastanet must learn to put the interests of the people of Saint Lucia first, above all other interests, especially that of his family. End.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 14:13:34 +0000
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