TCI: ‘Reno’ work to NJS Francis to top $3 million, Premier explains

#Providenciales, November 29, 2018 – Turks and Caicos – The NJS Francis Building cost The Turks and Caicos Islands Government over $6 million to acquire and the structure is now severely run down and in dire need of refurbishment; that ‘reno’ work will reportedly top $3 million and force all occupants out according to Premier and Finance Minister, Sharlene Robinson.

The Premier agreed to a one on one interview with Magnetic Media on Wednesday (November 28) to address some of the burning issues and among them is the state of disrepair of the building bearing the name of a Turks and Caicos former Public Works minister and home to Parliament, Finance and the Office of the Premier – the NJS Francis Building located in Grand Turk.

“That project is included in this budget to the tune of $3 million; the majority of the damage to that building – he is correct – is not Irma and Maria it is an old problem and it is now our responsibility but at the end of the day it is very disingenuous to behave as if that building was just now falling apart.”

Premier Robinson was responding, in part, to a statement from the Opposition Leader, Washington Misick who slammed the PDM Administration for not, more quickly getting repairs done on the NJS Francis Building.

“Last year there was a project to the tune of $1.8m, when we were informed that there was a contract…and that we had to move from the building (NJS Francis)…” the Premier said this move would have included all tenants and shared that it had to be postponed because of a lack of foresight by the former PNP Administration. 

“There was absolutely no funding in place for the relocation of these offices so at the end of financial year, pretty much, you had no funding available and you could not move forward with that project because you had no re-location, no new rents (budgeted) for the Ministry of Finance, for the Premier’s Office and that is the reason that project was cancelled at the time,” she explained during the interview conducted at her office in Providenciales.

For years, reports on the crumbling state of the building have made headlines and drawn criticism.  For the second time in just over two years, the occupants of the NJS Francis are required to move out for renovation work.  The House of Assembly has already been dismantled and reassembled at the HJ Robinson High school auditorium.

“Even before the hurricanes my government worked on a maintenance policy; and as with all governments but worse in the Turks and Caicos, we build buildings and we do not maintain. The situation with the NJS Francis building is that it is on the water.  The salt air, the salt water, the thumping from ferocious waves at times will require more maintenance and zero maintenance was happening since the government bought that building to the tune of $6.1m from National Insurance. 

The Premier said the National Insurance Board did have a maintenance contract in place when it was the owner of the NJS Francis, but that contract was discontinued by TCIG.

While the vistas surrounding the NJS Francis Building are stunning with the hues of blue of the Atlantic Ocean on the west side and the historic Pond Street salinas opposite its eastern side; it comes at a price.  The extreme exposure to extreme elements has caused much of the extreme damage and the extremely hefty repair bill.

“I was Leader of the Opposition for four years and there was no air conditioning on the side where I was.  We had House Meetings where members of the House of Assembly on the government side could not sit there when the building was leaking because there were shortages in the microphones.”

Last week, Leader of the Opposition, Washington Misick slammed the Premier for allowing the dilapidation on her watch.  Misick recommended she resign and the Premier has now officially hit back.

“Now I notice that the Leader of the Opposition has woken from his slumber again to come out and say that I should resign or call snap elections for a building that has been falling apart from the time we purchased it many years ago.”

The difference explained the Premier between this move and the one under the Rufus Ewing administration in 2016, is that it is planned, comprehensive and fully budgeted.

“Under the former administration we did some quick patchwork.  Persons would remember we did relocate to the HJ Robinson for a few months; we should have done the complete work then.  But at the end of the day things happen for the best and I would say that because that contract would have been frustrated after the storms and we would have had to gone back to square one.  The truth is it is poor planning on the part of the former administration, in that a contract may have been awarded but there was no relocation expenses budgeted. ”

Meanwhile, Premier Robinson said there will be no ‘snap elections’ because she is not dissolving parliament.  Her advice to the elder statesman is for his party, the Progressive National Party, to wait its turn.

#MagneticMediaNews

#renoworkatNJSFrancisbuilding