Gov't ready for NHT challenge

Attorney General Patrick Atkinson says the Government is ready to meet any legal challenge to its decision to make an $11 billion drawdown from the National Housing Trust (NHT).

Civil society group Citizens Action for Principle and Integrity (CAPI) has indicated its intention to challenge the decision saying the Government’s action is illegal.

The group’s attorney-at-law Hugh Wildman says under the law, the NHT is a Trust and as such only beneficiaries can give instructions for money to be taken out of the Fund.

Wildman is contending that the Government has no jurisdiction to arbitrarily remove money from the NHT.

However, Atkinson says the Government’s action is perfectly legal.

He says those arguing that the Government is contravening the law, have not looked at all the relevant legislation:

The Government is using the $11 billion for budgetary support as it seeks to meet conditionalities for inking a deal with the International Monetary Fund.
  
Meanwhile, members of the Marcus Garvey Peoples’ Political Party have planned a protest for this afternoon against what it says is the theft of money belonging to Jamaicans.

University lecturer and member of the party Paul Ward says the move announced by the Finance Minister is also immoral.

He is calling for members of the public to join in the protest and demand that the Government use NHT contributions to provide houses.

FOR MORE STORIES WATCH:


Like our new Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/gleanerjamaica

Follow us on Twitter
http://twitter.com/JamaicaGleaner

radio@gleanerjm.com