Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar will invite the media to tour the multi-million-dollar Prime Minister’s Residence and Diplomatic Centre this week.The buildings, comprising a 20,084 sq ft diplomatic centre and a 35,797 sq ft residence, were constructed at a cost of $244 million.
Press Secretary Garvin Nicholas said the official residence will be renamed the People’s House before the Prime Minister moves in. However he did not say when she will move to the residence, noting that it is not at the top of her list of priorities.
Last week Persad-Bissessar hosted a children’s concert at the diplomatic centre as the first event in making the residence accessible to citizens.
The media tour is in keeping with the government's open policy, Nicholas told media. “This is again designed to open the Government and its practices and procedures to the people of Trinidad and Tobago so that they not only understand what Government is doing but also see first hand how their resources are used.”
He said the media will be allowed to view all areas that are not considered sensitive to national security. These include the the expensive furnishings and the $3million drapes imported from China by Shanghai Construction Group, on behalf of UDeCOTT.
“The media will see the curtains which are hanging in the residence...this Government is not going to throw away resources simply because they were improperly attained.
"We already have them and what we intend to do is to ensure that in future we stay away from that kind of extravagance," Nicholas said.
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