Public Utilities Minister and Member of Parliament for Couva South, Barry Padarath, continues to defend the government’s decision to terminate and review hundreds of CEPEP contracts, arguing that many were unlawful and improper.
Responding to a Private Motion brought by the Opposition in the Lower House on the socio-economic impact of unemployment in communities, Minister Padarath laid out evidence that the CEPEP programme was compromised, leaving the government with no choice but to act.
“Several Calypsonians, employed by the previous administration, working in CEPEP, had their contracts, even though it was not up for renewal, renewed not for one year, not for two years, not for three years, but for six years.”
He cited examples of contractors receiving extensions, granted mere days before the general election.
“That did not occur by Cabinet decision. It did not occur through the proper, normal channels of the Board or the management of the CEPEP company. That happened by a phone call, where a Minister can say, ‘I want this one, give this one six more years, give that one three more years.'”
Minister Padarath argued that many of the contracts were never legitimate to begin with.
“If these contracts and employment arrangements had been lawful, transparent, and properly awarded in the first place, there would be no crisis requiring review, restructuring and correction now.”
MP Padarath criticised the private motion brought by Laventille West MP Kareem Marcelle, noting that it was hypocritical.
“I saw the member for Laventille West. He ran out of the Chamber, but he beat his chest proudly that he is from the Beetham. If you were so proud to be from the Beetham, why did you move out of the Beetham? Why did you not stay to fight for your community?”
The Minister pointed to elements of fraud and misrepresentation that he said created monopolies in the hands of a select few. He told the Parliament that Government promised to weed out corruption, which is precisely what necessitated the recent terminations at CEPEP.