In his contribution, Hosein linked the complaint process to political rivalry, saying it originated with a former PNM housing minister acting for a known party activist. He suggested that opposition criticism of the project is politically motivated and framed it as part of a broader effort to discredit the current administration’s housing plans. At the same time, he said the government welcomed the OPR’s scrutiny and called for similar attention to be applied to projects awarded under previous governments, arguing that a consistent standard should apply to all public procurement, regardless of which party is in office.  

Hosein then broadened his remarks to a review of past housing and infrastructure projects associated with the former administration, pointing to major programmes such as pharmaceutical acquisitions and secondary road rehabilitation initiatives. Citing information he said was drawn from an OPR annual report for the 2023–2024 fiscal period, he highlighted the volume of contracts awarded through open tender, limited or selective bidding, and especially non-competitive single-source methods. He underscored the scale of awards he described as sole-select or non-competitive and argued that these figures raised questions about value for money and transparency in earlier procurement exercises.  

The minister singled out a housing development at Trestrail as a case study, saying a state housing agency awarded a contract on a sole-select basis in 2019 for more than 100 townhouses. He said later technical inspections found serious structural and quality issues, including deficiencies that made the units unfit for occupation and forced authorities to consider extensive repairs or demolition. According to his account, the project’s failure illustrated how non-competitive procurement and inadequate oversight can lead to costly outcomes and minimal public benefit. He also referred to additional housing and village improvement contracts that he said were heavily concentrated in constituencies held by the former governing party and awarded largely through sole-select arrangements.  

Hosein further alleged patterns of nepotism and conflicts of interest under the prior administration, claiming that close relatives and associates of senior political figures benefited from various state contracts and board appointments. These, he said, included service and refurbishment contracts involving sports facilities, historic buildings, and state enterprises, as well as legal and financial services engagements and housing allocations. He argued that these examples demonstrated an uneven approach to public contracting and decision-making that advantaged politically connected individuals and entities. Hosein contrasted that record with his own assertion that neither he nor his family members have received government contracts, positioning the current government’s policies as a corrective to past practices.  

Throughout his remarks, the minister linked the new PPP housing model to broader economic objectives, saying the programme is expected to provide construction jobs, stimulate demand for building materials, and contribute to gross domestic product in the housing and construction sectors. He said the use of underutilised state lands for market-oriented housing is meant to generate state revenue while also responding to ongoing demand for residential accommodation among working- and middle-class households. He warned that attempts to discredit the programme could delay homeownership opportunities, reduce employment prospects, and limit business for local suppliers. Hosein concluded by reiterating that the government is committed to cooperating fully with the OPR’s review of the Balisier House project and to pursuing what he characterised as a more transparent and fiscally responsible framework for developing state lands.