Repairs and rebuilds for homes affected by Hurricane Elsa in 2021 have been almost completed, according to Acting Prime Minister Dr William Duguid.
He was piloting the Rural and Urban Development Commission Bill, 2025 yesterday in the House of Assembly, a merger measure that will establish the Rural and Urban Development Commission; transfer of the assets and liabilities of the two commissions to the new entity.
Under this administration the UDC constructed 164 houses, repaired or renovated 289, created 131 wells, 26 septic tanks and done more than 781 other types of services that include ramps, other repair and installations, Duguid said, adding that bills were $10 million in some instances and $3.6 million in others.
In relation to Hurricane Elsa and the freak storm of 2021, he said hundreds of houses had to be rebuilt and the National Housing Corporation (NHC) could not have done it on its own.
All the residents who had damage from Elsa have had their issues resolved and in relation to the UDC that was 90-plus per cent completed and 100 per cent completed at RDC and anyone who was not dealt with by either entity had their work done by NHC, Duguid said.
In relation to Elsa- affected properties, there were a further 80 house repair cases and 133 new houses along with work on electricals, painting, pest control, ramps and utilities.
Freak storm
As it stands, the projected $121 million spend on
Hurricane Elsa includes 694 rebuilds, 756 repairs and 217 people receiving material for a 90 per cent completion.
From the freak storm, there were another 26 new houses and nine house repairs on the bill of the UDC coupled with requests for materials, said Duguid, who added it was a difficult time then.
He said under Clause 36 of the proposed law, the staff of the two entities could remain employed on the terms and conditions no less favourable than those to which they had prior, while others could choose voluntarily a separation package, but still offer services to the new agency.
The unions, said Duguid, had signed off on aspects of the rare merger of two state-owned entities while giving their go ahead to debate the legislation. He said Rural and Urban had assisted thousands since being established in 1996 and 1997 under the Owen Arthur Administration and the latest change would create an agency more efficient and robust to transform, empower and uplift Barbadians as it carried out its mandate in the areas that include housing, farming, access to repairs for houses, special projects and providing benefits to small contractors.
He said the merger would streamline the operations, as presently there were officers doing the same thing in both commissions and it would also remove redundant administrative
processes Another benefit, said the acting Prime Minister, would be having a unified structure ensuring that funds and staff were utilised more efficiently across projects and improved on time and on budget delivery service.
Operational goals
“We’re going to do it by aligning operational goals. We’re going to do it by reducing any overlap and by improving coordination throughout the new commission,” he said.
The Christ Church West Member of Parliament said that under the Democratic Labour Party administration the special property transfer programme for people who lived in tenantries but did not fall under the Tenantries Freehold Purchase Act ground to a halt.
Under the Act, tenants benefit from purchasing plantation land at ten cents a square foot while under the transfer programme average Barbadians in tenantries, but not plantation land, paid $2.50 per square foot and the Government made up the different up to a point.
In relation to the new commission’s accounts, auditing and reporting, Duguid said he hoped the problem of no financial statements would not recur.
“The previous administration was unable to get financial statements for the Rural Development Commission for years. . . .It caused certain consternation and has caused people to wonder what was happening.
“But we said, let’s draw a line in the sand. Let’s get our financial statements from that point going forward. We can’t go back to those dark days,” he told the House.
Under the Barbados Labour Party, the RDC received $12 million to $14 million but that dropped to just over $5 million under the DLP in its last term 2013 to 2018 but has since gone to more than $18 million.
“The reason we do it, is because we recognise the Urban and Rural Development Commissions make a difference in people’s lives and in order to make that difference, you have to give the financial support,” Duguid stated.
Duguid said there was also provision for the Commission to address issues of derelict buildings that created a nuisance or could lead to injury and to make redevelopment plans where housing conditions were likely to be dangerous or there was a need to help with the welfare of its inhabitants.
(AC)
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