MINISTER OF FINANCE Chris Sinckler said a controversial housing project funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) that would have cleared major slums in The City of Bridgetown and other districts was too large and “overcooked”.
He said when surveyors were invited to tender for contracts to find out who owned the lands, they declined because they were afraid to work in areas such as Cats Castle and Greenfields.
Sinckler was speaking in the House of Assembly yesterday during debate on a resolution to compulsorily acquire 3 380.1 square metres of land at Whitepark Road, St Michael, for housing development.
Government recently came under fire from City dwellers, church leaders and the Opposition for appearing to have abandoned the project and condemning residents to continue living in squalor.
The new Democratic Labour Party (DLP) Administration signed the US$30 million Housing and Neighbourhood Upgrading Programme agreement which it found shortly after it assumed office in January 2008.
