Govt spending $500 million on tax building

The Government is to spend nearly $500 million to renovate a building located in downtown Kingston.

Cabinet approved the award of a contract for the refurbishing and renovation of the Donald Sangster Building, located at 116 East Street, Kingston, for Tax Administration Jamaica.

The value of the contract, which has been awarded to HDB Construction Limited, is $498,585,093.

The Government, in documents tabled in Parliament, said renovation will allow for numerous staff, presently housed in various locations, to be co-located to reduce costs and improve efficiency and productivity.

The Donald Sangster Building has seven floors, approximately 35,000 sq ft of total space, and is of a reinforced concrete framed structure, with an atrium and parking beneath on the ground floor.