Caption: Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath
By Alicia Chamely
MINISTER of Public Utilities Barry Padarath is making it clear that the Community Enhancement and Environmental Protection Programme (CEPEP) engages with contractors, not employees.
Padarath was responding to backlash over the cancellation of CEPEP contracts, which left approximately thousands of people unemployed. He was speaking at a press conference held by the United National Congress (UNC) at their party headquarters in Chaguanas on Sunday.
On Friday, hundreds of CEPEP contracts were cancelled, putting close to 10,000 on the breadline and drawing fierce criticism of the government.
In response to mass layoffs, the opposition held a legal workshop for those affected and a call for CEPEP workers to protest in front of the programme’s Ste Madeleine headquarters on Monday morning.
Carefully navigating the joblessness, Padarath said, “We do not engage employees, we engage contractors.”
Questioned about the timing, the school year coming to an end and parents soon having to buy uniforms and books for September, Padarath said, “So when I hear about the mothers who need to put food on their tables, buy school books, that is why this governments thrust is to ensure that we have the laptop programme, that we can have affordable food prices, so it is not about keeping people on the mindset of cutting grass for the rest of their lives.”
He said, “It is about empowering them and empowering their children to have a better quality of life, and not to use CEPEP as a political pawn to have persons go to political meetings, wear a red shirt, wave a balisier, for a meagre small fee at the end of the month, when senior party officials of the PNM continue to walk away with large hefty salaries and contracts on the backs of the people of Trinidad and Tobago.”
Reacting to the opposition, he said, “While you remained silent when WASA workers went home, when TSTT workers went home, when Petrotrin workers went home, where was the outcry then?”
The minister said in the coming weeks new tenders for CEPEP contractors would be advertised and those needing help can contact the Ministry of the People, Social Development and Family Services.
He said CEPEP was meant to be a transitional programme but was instead used as a political pawn by the previous government.
Padarath said an audit into CEPEP was taking place and shared some findings, which he found troubling.
He said since 2018, CEPEP had not submitted audited financial statements to the Ministry of Public Utilities as is mandated.
Additionally, he said, CEPEP had been flagged by the Central Audit Committee by the Ministry of Finance as it relates to questionable hiring practices and there had been no proper oversight with respect to procurement at CEPEP.
Padarath said, “The PNM engaged in what I describe as political prostitution of CEPEP and that political prostitution was obscene.”
He said contractors had been hand-picked by members of the PNM and accused some seven persons within the PNM of having CEPEP contracts, going as far to say that some PNM Members of Parliament had neglected their duties as MPs to chase down contracts.
Padarath said, “Therefore I call on all members of the PNM to declare your interest in CEPEP and do not use CEPEP contractors and their employees for political expediency.”
He added, “I have no intention of running CEPEP as a PNM party group.”
