The matter surrounding the cost of the residence of the governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) has been making the rounds in the region. Apparently, there was a decision made to spend EC$22 million to construct a new residence in St. Kitts, for the governor.
This, as a strongly-worded letter of rebuke allegedly written by our own Prime Minister, escaped what seems to have been intended as a confidential corridor. Why our local leaders are just finding this out is of concern, but let’s look at this from a local perspective.
If we were to construct a residence to host our current prime minister, how much might we spend? What sort of numbers might you see in the Estimates?
Let’s look back at some of the numbers that we’ve seen in the past, for related expenses. In the 2022 Estimates, we allocated EC$290,184 for salaries for “Additional Staff at the Prime Minister’s residence”. For 2021, that number was EC$291,465. For 2023, that number was EC$296,186; and for 2024, EC$312,672. For 2025 it will be EC$322,558; so, for five years (2021 through 2025), total salaries paid for “additional staff” at the PM’s residence would amount to EC$1.5 million.
Again in 2022, we allocated EC$75,000 for “Enhancement of the Prime Minister’s Residence”. That same amount (EC$75,000) was approved in 2021. By October 2021, we’ve spent EC$112,661, in total.
Then for 2023, we had projected to spend EC$250,000. These works on the residence are supposedly “TO UNDERTAKE MINOR WORKS AND PROCUREMENT OF FURNITURE, FITTINGS AND EQUIPMENT”.
We see a similar allocation of EC$75,000 for 2024; and EC$65,000 for 2025. It appears that it’s a yearly line item in SVG’s budgetary estimates to carry an allocation for enhancing our own Prime Minister’s residence.
The project was expected to be completed in 2023, with an estimated overall cost of EC$437,661. Based on the 2025 estimates, it now appears that the total would run us about EC$437,747 by 2027. By November 2024, we’ve spent EC$241,747 in total. That is to say: while we allocate a certain amount every year for “enhancement”, we’ve spent EC$241, 747 in total by November 2024.
Our focus here was on the residence only. In other words, we didn’t include the EC$150,000 allocation that was for refurbishing the office in 2024, and 2025. That’s a total of EC$300,000 for both years just for the office.
Consider the information presented here or even other numbers that you’ve heard, like that to construct the new boardwalk at Villa. If for some reason we need to build a new residence for our own current prime minister, about how much do you think it would cost?
Observer
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Everytime I read the newspaper from my country it break my heart. The government never ever do any thing that empowers the population. They never create jobs. The are in the business of squandering our youth. All they do is indebt the nation and keep the people poor.
If a new residence for Ralph was to be built, I would migrate. Simply saying, Ralph claims to be a roots man, but he drives around with G7, G77, G17 plus an outsider. How much does that cost the poor taxpayer annually, then and the statement any decent person charges their vehicle eve r y 4 years. I guess most vincies are indecent as we buy vehicles more than 4 years old. He reminds me of the days of the USSR, when everyone was equal, but the leaders have country homes, plural, and are chauffeured in luxury vehicles whi look e the unwashed masses suffer in silence for fear of reprisals.