Tyrone Reid, Enterprise Reporter

'To the best of my knowledge, ministers and state ministers, who occupied state residences would have already moved out or would have been well down the wicket in that regard' - PICKERSGILL

After nearly two decades of political supremacy, former Cabinet ministers, junior ministers, advisers and other 'genetically' connected officials of the People's National Party (PNP) have almost completed a mass exodus from Government into the political wilderness where there are no perks.

Executive offices at the various ministries have been swabbed clean and the new ministers have since taken up residence. Meanwhile, many officials, who occupied State-owned houses, have already vacated the premises to make room for members of the new administration, while others are making the final arrangements to do the same. Not only do many of them have to return the sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and other posh cars assigned to them, the former ministers must also hand in the Advance cards with which they purchased petrol, some of which had tabs of up to $33,000 a month.

Protocol

In keeping with protocol, all government boards are expected to resign en bloc. However, as the mass movement continues, a high-ranking source in the PNP lamented that there needs to be a code of conduct that governs this transition of power to avoid unnecessary embarrassments.

"There have been embarrassments in the past for both political parties people coming and rushing you to move out and sending for motor vehicle keys. (Imagine a) man come to you and say 'hand over the keys', like you are some criminal," the source revealed.

"You should not leave like any thief in the night. You should be given two weeks to a month to leave," the source suggested.

Necessary arrangements

The impeccable source reasoned that this time is needed to allow public officials to make the necessary arrangements to demit office and return the relevant perks. "I know for a fact that some ministers did not buy (other vehicles), they depended on what was provided."

However, Robert Pickersgill, chairman of the PNP, told The Gleaner that the exodus was almost complete. "To the best of my knowledge, ministers and state ministers, who occupied state residences would have already moved out or would have been well down the wicket in that regard."

He added: "Speaking for myself, I have already moved out and returned the keys to the SUV in tip-top shape. I am sufficiently proud not to have anybody ask me to move (out)."

The former Minister of Housing, Water, Transport and Works revealed that while he did not vacate his office before the elections, he did so in time to accommodate the new Minister.

Harry Douglas, former State Minister in the Ministry of Local Government and Environment, told The Gleaner yesterday that he exited his office two weeks before the election. Mr. Douglas made it clear that he did not occupy a State-owned house, because he was forewarned about the hassles and inconveniences that could come. "I did not live in a government house because there are no guarantees," he explained.

In addition, Mr. Douglas also pointed out that he has returned the keys to the SUV he was assigned during his tenure as Junior Minister under the Portia Simpson-Miller led administration.

Public officials can seek to purchase the vehicles or houses that they occupied. While, it was not ascertained how many of the officials will be going this route, Mr. Douglas made it clear that he is not among them. "I turned that (vehicle) in a couple days after the election, I did not want any arguments so I returned the vehicle," he explained.

Robert Bryan, former chairman of the scandal-plagued National Solid Waste Management Authority told our news team that he tendered his resignation earlier this week by way of a letter to Prime Minister Bruce Golding. He also said that the other board members were expected to do the same, as that was the consensus at the last board meeting.

At the same time, Penelope Goldsmith, Company Secretary at the Fiscal Services Limited (FSL), pointed out that members of FSL's board have written and signed their resignation letters. However, she was unable to say if the letters have reached the hands of the Minister, who has portfolio responsibility for the government-owned information technology company.

Some of the organisations whose boards should have resigned by now

Air Jamaica

Universal Access Fund

CHASE Fund

Jamaica Tourist Board

Bank of Jamaica

National Housing Development Corporation

National Housing Trust

Urban Development Corporation

National Solid Waste Management Authority

Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica

Fiscal Services Limited

Jamaica Trade and Invest (JAMPRO)

HEART/NTA

Port Authority of Jamaica

National Health Fund

National Irrigation Commission

Planning Institute of Jamaica

Coffee Industry Board

Health Corporation of Jamaica