NHT knocks Shaw's cash-flow claims

CHAIRMAN OF the National Housing Trust (NHT) Easton Douglas has rejected claims by Opposition Spokesman on Finance Audley Shaw that the institution was having challenges paying its contractors on time.

On Tuesday in Parliament, Shaw claimed information he had received suggested that the Trust was having difficulty "keeping current in its payment to contractors".

Yesterday, Shaw repeated his comments at a meeting of Parliament's Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) at Gordon House.

However, Douglas told The Gleaner yesterday that the NHT rejects the statement in its entirety.

"The NHT is absolutely confident that no contractor is owed any payment for work which has been completed and properly certified and for which invoices have been submitted," Douglas said.

"In addition, the Trust reassures the public in general - and its contributors in particular - that the NHT can adequately meet its obligations and will continue to do so."

Douglas said the team at the NHT would continue to manage the resources in its custody in the prudent, disciplined, and accountable manner it has for the past 37 years.

NOT AWARE OF PROBLEMS

At yesterday's PAAC meeting, Shaw asked Financial Secretary Devon Rowe whether the $11 billion drawdown from the Trust this fiscal year was having a negative impact on the cash flow of the housing entity.

Rowe and other senior government officials were attending the meeting where discussions were held on the Government's fiscal policy paper for the current financial year.

Responding to Shaw's assertion about cash-flow problems at the Trust, Rowe said he was not aware of this.