The PLP on its surprise tour of the Town Centre Mall post office in March.
By KHRISNA RUSSELL
Deputy Chief Reporter
krussell@tribunemedia.net
WHILE doubting the government will meet its latest General Post Office relocation date, Opposition leader Philip “Brave” Davis yesterday urged the government to lay on the table of the House of Assembly the lease agreement for the Town Centre Mall.
Mr Davis said he did not believe Transport and Aviation Minister Renward Wells’ assertion that the facility is now 99 percent complete or that the move would happen during the third week in May.
The Progressive Liberal Party made an impromptu visit to the mall about three weeks ago. At that point, the new Post Office site appeared far from complete.
“It was always a smokescreen to hide the wish of the government to do something for one of their members,” said Mr Davis. “So they created this expectation that the Post Office would have been ready in December. It wasn’t ready December (so) they gave another date.
“I doubt that they will be able to keep this date given the state of the repairs now. We don’t believe them and we don’t trust their word. We will wait to see.”
He continued: “While we are on the question, we want them to lay the lease.
“What are the lease arrangements that governs the occupancy of the Post Office at that site? There was a promise from them to lay it on the table. Why has it not been laid?
“We want them to disclose it.”
Trade, Financial Services and Immigration Minister Brent Symonette is co-owner of the mall.
Mr Davis also questioned the specifications of the new location being a turnkey operation. This was revealed on Tuesday by Mr Wells who told reporters the government’s out of pocket expense so far was $70,000 for furniture and $130,000 for necessary electrical work.
“Well that don’t sound like a turnkey to me if they had to come up with any sums to make the place occupancy ready for the services that are going to be occupied in that building,” said Mr Davis.
“Another thing is what does ‘turnkey’ mean? Are there any hidden recuperative costs in the arrangement?
“That’s why the lease document needs to be laid. I need to see what is in writing between them.”
On Tuesday, the minister described the new General Post Office location as “state of the art”.
He told reporters that the Post Office Bank and the cafeteria were finished before Christmas 2018, but the move was not approved because he did not want a piecemeal move.
Specifically regarding the delay, Mr Wells said several factors played a role in not being able to meet deadlines.
He said it all came down to different aspects of the facility’s drawings needing to be redone, issues with mailboxes and problems with some parts of the building’s power supply for equipment like CCTV. Last October, an initial deadline of December 15, 2018 was set for the move.
However, by November the government said the relocation was set for between Christmas and the end of 2018. But when December came, that deadline was extended to January 1 and when that date had passed, Mr Wells said the new relocation date would be moved to the middle of February.
Overall, issues at the run down East Hill Street location have impacted the revenue generation capability of the Post Office, now reducing its contribution to the consolidated fund to around $2m from about $6m in 2012, Mr Wells said.
He said it is the government’s intention to restore the essential service to its former efficiency will be aided by additional staff to ensure mail is handled properly.
Comments
proudloudandfnm 5 years ago
I just can't take the PLP seriously anymore. Bunch of incompetent crooks... Just go sit down and keep your mouths shut...
bahamas12345 5 years ago
Agreed Look how the PLP maintained the existing post office
Clamshell 5 years ago
Philip “Gravy” Davis: “It was always a smokescreen to hide the wish of the government to do something for one of their members.”
Translation: “Damn. Wha’ da fuzzlement I not been thinkin’ dat?”
sheeprunner12 5 years ago
LOL ........ I love the new nickname ...... Gravy!!!!!! Will adopt it.
But I agree with Gravy ....... Minnis, please lay the TCM document on the Table. Do not give Gravy any new matches to scratch.
licks2 5 years ago
Do you mean lay it on the table again? They done debated that to death in the house and in the papers. . .even down to the terms and amount of capital involved. Homes I lost here. . .WHAT YINNA MEAN WHEN YINNA ASK FOR THE DEAL TO BE TABLED? I lost here!!
Clamshell 5 years ago
You’re welcome. Share it with your friends!
birdiestrachan 5 years ago
the Furniture I understand ,but the 139 ,000 for electric work Why ? Who rents their apartment or building and the tenant pay for the electric work.??
Uncle Tommy Wells did say "You can not make a rich man rich, " in his wisdom it makes sense to him.
Uncle Tommy wells. you can make them richer like 900,000 Thousand or so for a building they could not even sell,
birdiestrachan 5 years ago
130,000 thousand for necessary electric work, who knows it may soon be $139,00 soon.
TheMadHatter 5 years ago
“What are the lease arrangements that governs the occupancy of the Post Office at that site? There was a promise from them to lay it on the table. Why has it not been laid? We want them to disclose it.”
LOL Mr. Davis, you should know very well that yard niggers ain't supposed to know about no paperwork and high minded things like that. Yall ain't even supposed to be able to read.
In fact, you should know VERY well this fact, cause I believe the rest of us were treated like yard niggers while YOU were in power - not so long ago.
YOU had the chance to implement a Freedom of Information Act and you did not. Now you get no information, just like the rest of us sorrowful little tax payers. I'm glad to hear it. I hope the Government don't tell you nothing. They shouldn't even give you the time of day. Buy a watch and make sure the battery in it is good.
Greentea 5 years ago
No fan of the PLP but the lease should be public. ALL government agreements should be made public.
TheMadHatter 5 years ago
I am not against the PLP and in fact i believe that fellas like Davis and Mitchell have done a lot of good things over the years and should be honored for their public service. The only thing is that both them and the FNM have this fetish for taking our money and not telling us what they do with it. It causes people to wonder and speculate (perhaps wrongly) that plenty tiefin going on. Why the secrecy? Maybe there is a good reaaon that we are not allowed to know. Ok. Fine. Then come out and say like we cant disclose our finances because then Jamaica will follow our wonderful model and bring their dollar back on par with the $US and then their people will be ok and then we won't have any strippers in the night clubs. I mean there's gotta be some reason. Im grabbing at straws here.
bogart 5 years ago
Da peoples OFFICIAL OPPOSITION......now seeking financial info ...........way past time..months.....on figures involved on new Post Office TOWN CENTRE almost finished....???????..........AND......when da..OFFICIAL OPPOSITION...chose NOT...to tells of the money...Bank affiliated then proposed PO building former food market on GLADSTONE RD.......how much money was spent to buy Gladstone Rd........done before da new one...??????????......reeks of pettiness tit fa tat....stead of OFFICIAL OPPOSITION for da nation... P.S. hopes MP Mitchell gets better from illness causin crutches commendable doing work while on crutches.
licks2 5 years ago
They are public!! This one was presented in the HOA!! In contrast. . .Davis een presented BAMSI or the Dump thing that Wells was mixed-up into to the HOA as yet!!! Further more. . .he leads the oversight committee in the HOA that can summon any information from any government department. . .
TheMadHatter 5 years ago
HOA is not a lease. It's just like a handshake.
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years ago
The Symonette family will never let the GPO lease agreement and related ancillary agreements see the light of day. And even Minnis and Turnquest can't make that happen if Brent Symonette puts his foot down. LMAO
licks2 5 years ago
Ya lost as usual. . .the terms and amount for that agreement was beaten to death in the HOA already!! It was all over the papers. . .social media nauseatingly. Let me jog ya memory for a second. . .remember when McAlpine and Chipman was all over the place rowing about the "rightness" of the deal after they discussed it in HOA? As I suspect, most of yinna around here on this site don't read with comprehension. . .can't read. . .lying when yall speak around here. . .or yinna just plain dense and deep in the D-Average graduates and can't reason worth a lick!! Hehehehehehehehehehe!
TheMadHatter 5 years ago
No. You are wrong. An HOA is not a lease - just like our annual budget tells us NOTHING about actual government expenditure. Nothing. Not one damn thing. You need to see the actual expenditure one month after the expense is made. In this case we need to see the lease AND a copy of the first three months rent cheques.
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