It will cost taxpayers close to $80 million to outfit Al Rawi building

People are saying that while Public Administration Minister Marlene McDonald says the $575,000 monthly rental for the “warehouse” building at No 3 Alexandra Street, Woodbrook, owned by Attorney General Faris-al Rawi is value for money, the government will have to fork out about $80 million to outfit the building.

AG FARIS AL RAWI

McDonald said the Personnel Department is being given a three-month rental-free, which could result in a savings of about $1.7 million. But many observers are saying that there is no way that outfitting the six-story building could be done within three months, which would probably take between eight months to a year.

The building has to be fitted with wall to-wall carpets, air-condition, TSTT wiring for phones, partitions for the various offices and other amenities since the building is a “shell”. People are watching which contractor will get the outfitting job. In 2016 the then PNM government minister of Rural Development Franklyn Khan had questioned the $71.7 million contract which was being awarded to outfit One Alexandra Place building, at St Clair, Port of Spain.

People are saying that if the cost to outfit One Alexandra Place building was over $71 million, some six years ago then the cost to outfit No 3 Alexandra Place building would cost the taxpayers of this country more than $80 million. People are also saying that while Al Rawi recused himself from the Cabinet decision to rent the property, which is owned by himself and his wife (50-50 percent), the building still belongs to him and that his recusal made no difference. Some are saying that ministers’ wives are raking in big dollars from the renting their properties to the PNM government.