The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Office of the Attorney General has denied claims that staff are working in unsafe or hazardous conditions at the Central Registry on Shirley Street.

The statement came in response to concerns raised by Bahamas Public Service Union president Kimsley Ferguson, who said staff at the Registrar General’s Department have been working in substandard conditions for several months.

During a site visit yesterday, he claimed the building was under demnolition and that employees were still being required to work there.

However, the Office of the Attorney General pushed back against those assertions, claiming that the human resources section of the department was notified that demolition work had taken place at the site over the weekend. As a result, the building was assessed and deemed temporarily unsuitable for regular operations.

Officials said immediate steps were taken to relocate six employees to an alternate location at the Bahamas Financial Centre and a designated space on the third floor of the building was identified, cleared, and prepared for use.

According to the office, one staff member has already moved into the new workspace, and the remaining employees have been advised to transition as well.

“The ministry denies any claims that staff were required to work in unsafe conditions. At no time were employees expected to perform their duties in an environment deemed temporarily unsuitable for regular operations,” the statement read.

It also dismissed claims of mould at the registry.

“A thorough professional cleaning and sanitisation of the premises including air conditioning units was conducted in January 2025 to ensure a healthy workspace. There have been no recorded instances of employees reporting illness related to mould exposure.”

Officials acknowledged that while files remain at the Central Registry, the department is working to transfer them to the Bahamas Financial Centre as soon as possible.

In the meantime, the office added that employees may need to access the registry periodically to retrieve documents.

Controlled access will be provided through the back entrance of the facility, away from the demolition zone, to ensure staff safety.

“The office of the judiciary, which will take occupancy of the space, has assured that all debris will be removed as a matter of priority.”