A section of Minister Ed Bartlett's Office, Ministry of Tourism, Knutsford Boulevard, New Kingston. - photos by Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

THE 'suite' life being enjoyed by some government officials could be diluted if a cap were placed on the amount of money state entities spent on styling or renovating office space for high-level public officials.

Dr Jean Dixon, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health, believes establishing a cap would be an effective way to curb spending on office renovations. "Setting a limit would be a good start," she said. "It is done for the motor vehicles, and I think it is something we could consider for other areas, such as (the) renovating of office suites," Dixon added.

The use of state funds for office refurbishing and personal styling is not new.

A 1999 task force to reduce waste in the public sector (The Orane Report), headed by Douglas Orane, chairman and chief executive office of GraceKennedy, and which included a team of specialists, was appointed by the Government to recommend ways to reduce public expenditure and improve the efficiency of the public service.

traditional notions

The Orane Report noted that "traditional notions of hierarchy and status and in many cases, vanity, are the main determinants in providing accommodation and allocation of space".

The report also highlighted that there were no clear policies and/or guidelines on renting versus purchasing, nor were there established standards for determining the size of offices and work areas.

"As is the case with other decisions relating to spending of public funds, economy is not high on the list of considerations," the decade-old report said.

"Consequently, no rigorous research and investigation or negotiations are generally undertaken to get the best deal and value for money."

Faith Innerarity, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, told The Sunday Gleaner that the ministry's head office was first located at the Tourism Centre Building on Knutsford Boulevard in New Kingston. Approximately $3 million was spent to transform that space previously occupied by an embassy into an office setting suited for the ministry's operations.

temporary stay

The permanent secretary said it was understood that their stay on Knutsford Boulevard would have been temporary. During their less than two-year stay, the ministry occupied a section of the third floor and the fifth floor. Youth, Sports and Culture minister Olivia Grange's office was located on the third floor, while most of the staff was accommodated in an open area on the fifth floor.

Innerarity said expenditure, the bulk of which went into the purchase of new office furniture, was kept at a minimum. "It was not a matter of upgrading. It was simply finding a home for the ministry," she said. The approximately $3 million price tag also included the costs incurred for setting up a conference room and offices for five senior officers, including the permanent secretary.

Innerarity said the third-floor offices were slightly reconfigured. She also revealed that dirty carpets were removed and replaced with a cheaper laminate-based alternative because "it was not government property and we only had a one-year lease".

In late August, the ministry relocated to another New Kingston location - the Advantage General Building. "Where we are now, in terms of per-sq ft cost, it is cheaper. Staff have been brought in from other locations (and we have) reduced (the) overheads per person," said Innerarity, who indicated the ministry was still in the process of tabulating the total cost of setting up shop at its current location.

Innerarity admitted that some new floor finishes were bought for the new office space, but quickly pointed out the ministry turned down the contractor's recommendation to put in new floor finishes in other areas. No new basins and countertops were bought, as the ministry opted to use what had been left there by the previous occupants. Innerarity pointed out that even some of the doors and windows that had been installed at the Knutsford Boulevard building were taken to the new location. "We are very prudent and we seek to keep things at a minimal level," she said.

Unlike their counterparts in the tourism ministry, the youth, sports and culture ministry purchased only fabric blinds. "We don't have any wooden blinds. We didn't even check out that option," she said.

nothing fancy

Dixon, who was permanent secretary in the Ministry of Mining, Energy and Telecommunications when the Jamaica Labour Party took office in September 2007, told our news team that she did not do anything fancy to the office space she inherited. Dixon, who has worked with four different ministers since being appointed a permanent secretary, also said that she had not presided over any major renovation during her years as a permanent secretary.

"When minister Mullings came in, he just moved in. When his predecessor moved (out), we just cleaned out the files. ... we added a little coat of paint, and that was it," Dixon explained.

Dixon was subsequently moved to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), where she reported to Daryl Vaz, minister with portfolio responsibility for information and telecommunications. She said Vaz, without much fanfare, moved into the office vacated by James Robertson who was appointed minister of energy and mining. Dixon said she carried the furniture she was using at the previous ministry with her to the OPM, but was persuaded not to take them with her to the health ministry.

Two of the accent pieces within the minister's suite.