PM unlikely to move into Whitehall right away

AS her government continues to settle in, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has still not yet decided where her main office will be, but is unlikely to occupy Whitehall amid issues with mould and flooding.

A source told Newsday Public Utilities Minister and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Barry Padarath toured Whitehall on May 5.

He was accompanied by Foreign Affairs and OPM Parliamentary Secretary Nicholas Morris and the permanent secretary in the OPM.

During the tour, Padarath expressed dissatisfaction with the state of the building, suggesting work needed to be done on the interior before Persad-Bissessar could set up her office there.

He described the building as “not functional” and noted “challenges” preventing parts of the building from being used.

Those include possible occupational health and safety violations caused by mould and flooding.

He added the cabinet secretariat was moved to another building after its office in the basement was flooded.

The ground floor currently houses an office for a minister in the OPM, while the prime minister’s office, permanent secretary’s office and a cabinet meeting room are located on the first floor.

Padarath said he was surprised to learn about the myriad of issues facing staff who he claimed were unhappy.

He added he would speak with Persad-Bissessar and come up with a “quick fix” so her government could get to work as quickly as possible.

Whitehall, built in 1904, is one of seven historic mansions – also known as the Magnificent Seven – located along Maraval Road, west of the Queen's Park Savannah.

Originally called Rosenweg, it is the largest of the private homes on Maraval Road and was built by plantation owner Joseph Leon Agostini.

The building changed hands several times before being bought by the government in 1954 and was then used as the office for TT’s first prime minister Dr Eric Williams.

According to the National Trust’s website, the building was restored twice, first in 2000, after which it continued to be occupied by OPM, but had to be evacuated in 2009 owing to its state of dilapidation.

It then underwent a major $32 million restoration in 2016 which saw designers integrate modern conveniences while maintaining the interior and exterior finishes.

Nation Trust describes Whitehall as the most elaborate of the Magnificent Seven with its elaborate ceilings, intricate staircase, and original doors mouldings and floors all carefully refurbished.

The House was re-occupied by the Prime Minister’s office in August 2019.

During Persad-Bissessar’s first stint as prime minister between 2010 and 2015, her office was two blocks away at 13-15 St Clair Avenue.

That office space is larger and several of the other units under OPM, including communications, Gender and Child affairs and National Aids Co-ordinating Centre are still located there.

Meanwhile, a source said, apart from the state of the building, staff’s other concerns revolve around job security.

The source told Newsday although government employees were continuing their work as usual, there was still no clarity about their future, particularly with no minister of gender affairs or communications named.

Also, administrative staff at former ministries that were split including national security, attorney general and legal affairs and education, and those that were combined such as the ministry of sport and the ministry of youth development and national service are also uneasy.

Newsday understands staff are "more anxious than worried," but they are still hoping for some answers as they are “unsure where they will end up.”