A review of Cepep will be undertaken and Minister Barry Padarath uncovers over 360 contracts renewed weeks before the election without cabinet approval.
00:00Public Utilities Minister Barry Podaroth expresses concerns over the way the Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Program CPAP was being run under the PNM government.
00:12Because for quite a while it appeared as though CPAP was a runaway house. And similarly, like re-afforestation, what we have found is that it was utilized as a playground for PNM politicians, for those PNM party hats, those who sought the benefits of the state as opposed to looking after the interests of the state.
00:37Podaroth recently held a meeting with CPAP's management.
00:40We discovered that over 360 CPAP contracts were renewed for a period of three years during the period April 14th to April 24th, 2025.
00:55When asked about this, I was advised by the management of CPAP that there was no cabinet approval for this. We searched there's no cabinet note.
01:07He inspected the list to find 275 of the 360 contractors functioned out of PNM-held constituencies.
01:17Ministers will call up, never mind it never turned up at CPAP, in terms of who would become a CPAP contractor.
01:24There was no transparency in the process. Instead, it was utilized as a party system that was available for rewarding the PNM boys and girls.
01:37But that's not all. Podaroth looked at the rentals of CPAP.
01:41At CPAP, a building was rented along the east-west corridor to move CPAP from where they functioned out of St. Madeleine along the corridor.
01:53The building was rented for a period of three years in the first instance.
01:59Now, I've put a stop date because there's no contractual arrangements anymore.
02:04The lease has expired.
02:05He calls it self-enrichment at the expense of the people of TNT.
02:10At a cost of over $3.5 million, the relatives of a former senior minister of the People's National Movement received the lease and the contractual arrangements benefiting directly while that building was never occupied for the three-year period that it was leased for.
02:32You understand that, Trindad and Tobago?
02:34And so his ministry has made the decision to audit all CPAP assets, review equipment and vehicle rentals, and also have an overall review of the program to see if it is in fact meeting its mandate.
Be the first to comment