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  • 5 months ago
Minister of Public Utilities Barry Pardarath accuses the opposition of misleading the public regarding the CEPEP workers and their contracts.

He was speaking at a media conference at the United National Congress ...here's more in this report.
Transcript
00:00I want to remind Trinidad and Tobago this morning that CPEP engages contractors, not employees.
00:11Minister of Public Utilities and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Barry Padirath,
00:17is accusing the last government of the misuse and mismanagement of CPEP.
00:22He says over the last 10 years, the People's National Movement used CPEP in its own political porn.
00:28Hand-selected persons of Members of Parliament under the PNM, Ministers of Government under the PNM,
00:38I want us to turn to an article dated Wednesday 24th January 2007.
00:48And this morning, I'm reminded of that article, and in the second paragraph, it says,
00:59Then, well, obviously it was then-Minister Rene Dumas' remarks,
01:04followed earlier criticism by UNC Senator Wade Mark of the award of $4.1 million in CPEP contracts to Lionel Beckels,
01:13the father of the Minister of Public Utilities, Penelope Beckels.
01:17Minister Padirath said, the UNC government will always put the public's interests first before any political gain,
01:25adding, since the UNC administration came into office,
01:28they discovered a lot of shady work which was done under the last administration.
01:32Since 2018, CPEP has not submitted audited financial statements to the Ministry of Public Utilities,
01:44as is mandated in the law.
01:45CPEP has been flagged
01:50by the Central Audit Committee of the Ministry of Finance as it relates to their questionable hiring practices.
01:59There has been no proper oversight with respect to procurement at CPEP.
02:09There have been government rentals once more to PNM government ministers and their families at CPEP.
02:17He says, the last administration only administered CPEP contracts to friends and family.
02:24Padirath says, under his watch as line minister, there will be no shortcuts
02:29because the entity should be used to benefit the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
02:34CPEP means community enhancement, and therefore we must empower the communities.
02:39So when I hear about the mothers who need to put food on their tables, buy school books,
02:47that is why the government's trust, this government's trust,
02:51is to ensure that we have the laptop program, that we can have affordable food prices.
02:58So it is not about keeping people in the mindset of cutting grass for the rest of their lives.
03:04It is about empowering them and empowering their children to have a better quality of life.
03:10Sharla Kisto, TV6 News.
03:17Sharla Kisto, TV6 News.
03:18Sharla Kisto, TV6 News.
03:19Sharla Kisto, TV6 News.
03:20Sharla Kisto, TV6 News.
03:21Sharla Kisto, TV6 News.
03:22Sharla Kisto, TV6 News.
03:23Sharla Kisto, TV6 News.
03:24Sharla Kisto, TV6 News.
03:25Sharla Kisto, TV6 News.
03:26Sharla Kisto, TV6 News.
03:27Sharla Kisto, TV6 News.
03:28Sharla Kisto, TV6 News.
03:29Sharla Kisto, TV6 News.
03:30Sharla Kisto, TV6 News.
03:31Sharla Kisto, TV6 News.
03:32Sharla Kisto, TV6 News.
03:33Sharla Kisto, TV6 News.
03:34Sharla Kisto, TV6 News.
03:35Sharla Kisto, TV6 News.
03:36Sharla Kisto, TV6 News.
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