PosGH to get new tower, says PM

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has said the Port of Spain General Hospital, which suffered substantial damage during the August 6.9 earthquake, will get a new tower under a build-own-lease- transfer plan.

“So if we have to reduce and contrive, cut our consumption in other areas, Port of Spain General Hospital is going to have a new tower.

We are doing it by way of public-private partnership. The government does not have the money, so we have advertised and we are currently evaluating the proposals, asking the private sector to bring your money, build the building for us, we will be using it and you will design it, finance it, you will own it – but you would lease it back to the government.

It’s called build-own-lease-transfer, and after a period of say 15- 20 years, with government making affordable yearly payments, you transfer it to the State, having paid for it over a 20-year period."

He was addressing a campaign meeting of the Red and Rowley slate of candidates for the party’s September 30 internal election at the San Fernando City Auditorium on Thursday night.