By Alicia Chamely
RURAL Development and Local Government Minister Khadijah Ameen is accusing the former People’s National Movement (PNM) government of widespread corruption and political interference in the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP).
Among her accusations are ghost gangs, financial mismanagement and the allegation that a daughter of a senior PNM official is receiving a URP salary despite currently studying abroad at a foreign university.
In a release sent out on Sunday, Ameen alleged that of the $300 million allocated for URP for fiscal year, $231 million had already been drawn down, with $229 million being spent on salaries alone.
She stated, “Only $2 million has been spent on actual goods and services. The overwhelming majority of funds were used for payroll, with hundreds of names receiving salaries without performing any duties.”
Ameen said, “Ghost gangs are being operated by political insiders, where names are submitted for payment and workers only receive only a portion of the funds while the rest is pocketed by ‘gang bosses’.”
Most concerning to Ameen, was the discovery of a senior PNM official’s daughter receiving a salary despite currently studying abroad at university.
Ameen stated the lead up to the April 28 general election was a “feeding frenzy within URP, with overspending and over-hiring of PNM party associates.”
She also alleged that 500 URP workers, assigned to Tobago, were relocated to six regions along the East West corridor, “depriving Tobago and redirecting resources for their campaign with taxpayers’ dollars.”
“This is not only abuse of state funds, it is an insult to the unemployed men and women across the country who genuinely needed unemployment relief,” Ameen said, “it is atrocious that we have this level of corruption while the employment rate amongst the population skyrocketed under the PNM.”
Responding to the media, PNM shadow minister Symon De Nobriga denied all accusations by Ameen and accused her of making excuses to justify mass terminations within the programme.
