Police Minister Supports Diverting Rent Money to Office Construction

Fifteen thousand dollars a month, that’s what the Ministry of Home Affairs is paying just to rent office space in Belmopan. That’s a hefty price tag, and today we asked Minister Kareem Musa the big question: who’s getting those rental checks, and wouldn’t it make more sense for the government to invest that money in building its own offices? Here’s what he had to say.

 

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs

“We currently occupy the first floor on constitution drive. I believe this property belongs to Abbadis. I think Special Effects are the owners of the property. Just so you know the last administration was paying more. We were able to negotiate a reduction in the amount of rent that was payable under COVID, we were able to get a reduction. But no doubt the landlord is behind us for an increase because of COVID. So, I just want to make that point.”

 

Paul Lopez

“Do you think it is high time we stop paying people’s mortgages and loans at the bank with these rental fees?”

 

Kareem Musa

“I am absolutely a huge supporter and advocate for that position. Obviously that is going to require a financial institution, whether a local institution or foreign, coming in to provide a very substantial loan. We are looking in the range of forty to sixty million dollars to create a government campus that can house all of these offices. That is something we need to focus on. I agree, overtime it is going to be worth it so if we can enter into a public, private partnership whereby you pay this very same rent for a period of twenty to thirty years but after that you become the owners of it, I think that makes a lot more sense and is the direction the government is going to be looking at.”