00:00Prime Minister Kamala Passat-Bissasa has been working out of her private residence in Philippines, San Fernando, since being sworn into office, confirms Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Barry Padarath.
00:12He says it was necessary after being told by the Permanent Secretary in the OPM of unfit conditions at Whitehall, Port of Spain, during a tour of the building on Monday.
00:23Right now, the Permanent Secretary is actively looking for alternative arrangements for the Honourable Prime Minister, and that is why we are here today. The Prime Minister has nowhere to operate out of.
00:36MP Padarath says this is a temporary arrangement, but during that time, various ministers will be coming to this location to meet with the Prime Minister on urgent matters.
00:45The Prime Minister has been on the job. Every day, members of Parliament, ministers. You would see, I can show you myself, the correspondence from the Office of the Prime Minister.
01:00You would see a minister that has brought work from his ministry. Palsek has brought work from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well.
01:09He also responded to those who have suggested that the official residence of the Prime Minister, the Diplomatic Centre, be used instead.
01:18We advise that it is a security concern. There are no scanners that are functioning at the residence.
01:25This is not citizen Kamala Pusabi Sesa. This is Prime Minister Kamala Pusabi Sesa. And therefore, the agencies of state kick in.
01:34And we have to depend on the advice that is provided to us by the agencies of state.
01:40And if they are telling us that the scanners at the Prime Minister's residence is not working,
01:44if they are telling us that the conditions they are not the most conducive for her to operate out of,
01:49then we have to work with what they are telling us.
01:51Minister Padarat says while they await an alternative office,
01:56the Prime Minister has been engaging with local, regional and international stakeholders on matters of national interest.
02:03I left here around 2 a.m. this morning.
02:06The Prime Minister is working night and day in order to ensure that we have a proper functioning of the government.
02:12What has been happening is the Prime Minister has been actively engaged in matters of state
02:18in terms of fleshing out schedules and so on for ministries and ministers.
02:23From time to time, ministers have been summoned in terms of work that is ongoing in their ministry.
02:30Cindy Raguba, Tika Singh, TV6 News.
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