00:00Just over 1,600 workers attached to the National Programme for the Upkeep of Public Spaces took up official duty
00:08today.
00:09Almost one year after 10,000-plus CPEP workers were left on the breadline after government terminated contractors' contracts.
00:17Under the new programme, four programme coordinators have been appointed to oversee East, West, Central and South Trinidad.
00:26To our coordinators, your role as accounting officer is vital.
00:31You serve as a primary link between the regional corporations and the Ministry of Rural Development.
00:37But I also must add our members of Parliament, regardless of which political party they are from, because they too
00:46will have requests.
00:47But your facilitating and verifying timesheets from the maintenance supervisors and managing the return of personnel is critical.
00:58Under the Upkeep programme, the councils will have domain over their respective corporations.
01:06Each CEO will be assigned a specific number of teams, including teams for disaster units.
01:13The work programmes will be developed by your council and your disaster unit, with supervision provided by the officer that
01:23you designate.
01:24In some cases, it is the work supervisor, the public health department or the disaster management unit.
01:32The Minister is urging the 1,600-plus new workers to be diligent and dedicated,
01:38noting that their function goes beyond keeping a clean scene.
01:42This programme ultimately is about communities.
01:46Every drain that we clean, every park that we maintain, every overgrown lot that we clear,
01:53it means that it directly affects the community because it makes families safer,
01:59it contributes to the public health of our neighbourhood and the pride that people feel in the area that they
02:04live.
02:05We want to look at flooding risks being reduced.
02:09We want to look at crime and illegal dumping, to discourage crime and illegal dumping,
02:14because many of those vacant lots are used for criminal activities.
02:18Bandits hide there, they hide their guns, their drugs there, and sometimes it could be a little dangerous.
02:25But by keeping those spaces clear, we minimise those risks.
02:28The workers are employed on contract from April to September.
02:33Meantime, some former URP workers have found employment in the new programme.
02:37I also want to take the opportunity to welcome some public servants who were in the Ministry of Works
02:46who came to us through the URP programme.
02:50The URP programme is now being closed off, and they have experience at the administration.
02:57So they will be with us at the unit we have formed at the Ministry of Rural Development and Local
03:04Government,
03:05working alongside our coordinators.
03:07So I want to especially welcome all of you.
03:10All of them are public officers with different degrees of, different number of years' experience.
03:16Some of you have been in the system for quite some time,
03:19and your experience will be useful in guidance to ensure that patients are completed on time,
03:24that we meet the requirements in terms of accountability.
03:28Over 900 URP workers had their contracts terminated last year.
03:34Renessa Cutting, TV6 News.
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