$10 million for President's House

A sum of $10.2 million has been allocated in fiscal 2020 to complete restoration of President's House in St Ann's. This information is contained in the State Enterprises Investment Programme (SSIP) 2020 which was laid in the House of Representatives last week Monday by Finance Minister Colm Imbert.

According to the SSIP, this was the expenditure which the Urban Development Corporation of TT (Udecott) believed necessary to complete the project.

This project, the SSIP continued, involves the restoration of President's House to accommodate the expanded functions of the Office of the President. The estimated cost of the project is $100 million. The projected expenditure for the project from April to September is $58.9 million.

A sum of $4.5 million has been allocated in fiscal 2020 for the parliamentary complex which involves the customisation of Cabildo Chambers for the Office of the Parliament.

The SSIP said the estimated cost for the project was revised from $303.3 million to $98.8 million. In his budget presentation, Imbert said President Paula-Mae Weekes will soon be able to occupy President's House. He also said the Parliament will return to the Red House in January. At the re-opening of Whitehall last month, the Prime Minister said Tower D of the Port of Spain International Waterfront Centre, where the Parliament is currently located, will be used to house several civil courts.