PM Gonsalves to work from home after fire

Clean-up in the aftermath of a fire which occurred on the second floor of the Administrative Building (Financial Complex) last Saturday, October 15, was expected to have begun yesterday.{{more}}

But not until insurance investigators had visited the site and made a determination as to the cause of the fire, Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves explained.

Speaking at a Unity Labour Party (ULP) public meeting at Biabou last Sunday, the prime minister said that there was significant water damage and a significant amount of clean-up work to be done.

He expressed some optimism saying that he expected, through the diligent work put in by those charged with the task of cleaning up and doing other restorative work, that normal business should resume at the site in a few days time.

The Administrative Building is home to the Treasury, Central Planning, Statistical, Finance, National Security, Trade and Foreign Affairs departments, as well as the Prime Minister’s Office, and the offices of the Regional Integration and Diaspora Unit and Invest SVG.

The fire occurred in the census office of the building and, according to Gonsalves, “everything in that area was practically destroyed.”

“It looks as if we may have to do over the census,” the prime minister said.

Gonsalves further said that he had been advised that the Treasury department, located on the ground floor, would open to allow for payments to be made as usual.

He, however, said that he would have to go in to the office retrieve some paperwork, so that he could work from home, as the smoke-filled offices, including the prime minister’s office, woud make it difficult for him to operate from there. (DD)