Last week our newsroom received a letter signed by 5 officers in charge of various government offices in Dangriga Town. The public officers were disgruntled that they would have to move from the building that currently housed their offices into one that they previously used - that had been riddled with mould and other structural issues.
The Southern Regional Hospital had deemed the space unfit for a work environment, prompting them to move out two years ago. But they will be heading back this summer since the government has already leased the building.
But is the space suited for six departments that share it? Courtney Menzies has this story comparing costs and benefits.
This is the building on St Vincent Street in Dangriga Town which the Minister of Public Service has rented for its offices. But they used to be there before, and had to move back in 2019 because it was falling apart.
This letter signed by 5 officers in charge claims those problems include mould, leaking ceilings, faulty electricity, inadequate bathroom facilities, no storage space and limited space for employees and customers, no parking, and much more.
As for the public health issues, the letter states that employees were falling ill with symptoms such as headache, difficulty breathing, and nausea. The Southern Regional Hospital stepped in to do an assessment of the Income Tax Department, and the results showed that black mould was growing on the ceiling of various rooms, including the female bathroom.
But there's also a political dimension. The current office on Ecumenical Drive is owned by Curtis Lee Castillo and he has political ties to former UDP area rep Frank Papa Mena.
And in their haste to get out of there, the government has decided to lease the previous building, co-owned by Elvis Zabaneh and his father, Emilio Zabaneh, even as its being renovated to cure the public health plagues that it had become synonymous with.
The lease is for four years, and the public officers are expected to move in within the next two months. But in their letter, they're asking the CEO in the Ministry of the Public Service to allow them to remain on Ecumenical Drive rather than move back to St Vincent Street, because of the same issues they faced before.
But when we reached out to Elvis Zabaneh, he assured us and the public officers of Dangriga that the building was being fully renovated. And in the government's interest of cost saving measures, this new building will be rented at $13,000 per month - a decrease of about $3,000 from the cost of the Castillo building on Ecumenical Drive.
In addition, he stated that there will be added parking space and electrical upgrades, and has committed to a walk through by the health department and the media before reopening.
Government wanted to move its offices there in May - but presumably because of the ongoing work that has been pushed back to August.
Zabaneh added that his building is in the center of the town, making it more accessible to the residents.
