Webber

Former Deputy general secretary of the People's National Party (PNP), Maureen Webber, has been appointed to chair the new board of the National Housing Development Corporation Limited (NHDC).

Information Minister, Donald Buchanan, made the announcement yesterday at the post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.

Other members of the board include: Milverton Reynolds, Michael Buchanan, Bishop W.A. Blair, Manley Nicholson, Genefa Hibbert, among others.

Ms. Webber's appointment to the board comes one year after she denied claims by the Opposition that she was tipped for the post of chief executive officer of the NHDC.

Yesterday, Mr. Buchanan said the new NHDC board would function over the next three years with responsibility for all aspects of the NHDC's operations.

"In particular, the board will assume responsibility for ensuring the activation of a number of Operation PRIDE projects, some of which have become somewhat dormant in the last couple of months," Buchanan said.

He disclosed that some 16 projects, which were on hold, would be reactivated. He said overall, the NHDC, in the next 12 to 18 months, would be engaging in $1.5 billion of expenditure in terms of these projects.

The board was last chaired by Norman McDonald who resigned for personal reasons.