Many of the contractors engaged in the Urban Renewal Small Homes Repair (SHR) Programme have "tarnished criminal records" and a few are on bail, Deputy Prime Minster Philip Brave Davis revealed yesterday. Davis, who was speaking in the House of Assembly, explained that the government deliberately hired those individuals to give them a second chance and as an incentive to keep them from committing crimes.
"We still believe in giving a second chance to individuals who have run afoul of the law," he said.
"Yes, we all deserve a second chance. Even the Apostle Peter was given a second chance. Many of the Small Home Repairs Programme contractors have tarnished criminal records; in fact, a few are out on bail.
"This government deliberately retained those who had the requisite construction skills and gave them contracts to repair houses and they embraced the opportunities and executed repair works that have withstood keen scrutiny." Davis added: "Mr. Speaker, this government realizes that engaging these individuals to assist with small home repairs will cause them to refrain from stealing and other criminal activity and continue to seek gainful employment."
Davis did not indicate what kinds of crimes the contractors were convicted of or accused of committing. He said it is the government's policy to engage contractors and tradesmen, as far as practicable, from the respective urban communities in which houses are to be repaired.
The Small Home Repairs Programme came under fire earlier this year after an auditor general's report, leaked to The Nassau Guardian in April, revealed that there was a lack of accountability, transparency and due diligence in the management of the program, its execution and the quality of work done. Auditor General Terrance Bastian found that 11 contractors were paid $171,000 for work that was either incomplete or never done.
The revelation set off a firestorm around the program. Davis said yesterday that he commissioned independent construction experts to carry out a separate inquiry into the program. Davis said the team surveyed 80 homes, including the ones highlighted by the auditor, and determined from the evaluation that 94.2 percent of all repair works were completed when set against the intended scopes of work.
Additionally, Davis said the construction experts found that several aspects of the auditor general's report are "erroneous".
"Nothing on Earth is perfect. When you consider the impact of Urban Renewal and its Small Home Repairs Programme, with this government as the investor, we have seen nothing in the auditor general's report that will change our decisions of investment in people," Davis said.
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