00:00Chairman of the Tunapuna-Piaco Regional Corporation, Josiah Austin, says late salary payments have become a recurring issue for daily
00:08rated workers.
00:09He adds delays began on April 28th and have continued monthly, with some corporations struggling to meet payroll obligations.
00:18It's quite evident that several arms of local government is weakening right now.
00:23The issue with respect to our salaries daily rated workers receiving late salaries since April 28th, corporations like ours are
00:36finding ways to try and assist and pay those salaries on time.
00:40But it's evident through our research that these salaries have been coming late every single month and other corporations are
00:50grappling and fighting to find ways to get these things paid.
00:53Austin describes the situation as very ticklish, with several arms of local government under strain.
01:00He says development projects are also being affected.
01:03According to the chairman, the corporation has received reduced allocations and is now required to route certain projects through the
01:11Rural Development Company, which carries a 7.5% management fee.
01:17He argues that the added cost places further pressure on already limited funds.
01:23We know we are in a very ticklish position.
01:26We're seeing where even our development projects, where we as the PNM-led corporations were given less monies for our
01:36projects.
01:37Now on top of that, they are asking us to run the projects through RDC Rural Development Company, with a
01:42management fee of 7.5%.
01:45That has taken us to at least $800,000 to run our projects when we already got short money.
01:51Where is that taking our corporations?
01:53Austin adds that while multiple corporations are impacted, he believes workers in PNM-led corporations have been disproportionately affected by
02:03the delays.
02:04Last year we had a situation where councillors' salaries were paid on time, and in several corporations we have now
02:12deteriorated workers and being paid on time.
02:15He is also raising concerns about the possible adjustment of electoral boundaries, which he says could weaken the Tunapuna-Piako
02:23Regional Corporation.
02:24And in a corporation like ours, we are now faced with a situation where they want to shift boundaries and
02:30probably weaken TPRC and that sort of thing.
02:33I'm looking very close to this boundary committee, and looking very close to what they are recommending and what they're
02:41trying to do.
02:49Austin says urgent action is needed to ensure workers are paid on time and regional corporations are properly funded.
02:57With the mid-year budget review approaching, he is hopeful that additional allocations will be directed to regional corporations to
03:04address salary delays and ongoing project shortfalls.
03:07Haksha Galstan, TV6 News.
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