Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Khadijah Ameen is advising that, contrary to social media reports about a leaked Cabinet Note, the new National Programme for the Upkeep of Public Spaces is not a replacement for CEPEP.
Minister Ameen spoke to TTT News, highlighting the differences between both programmes.
“The new National Programme for the Upkeep of Public Spaces is not a CEPEP replacement. It provides meaningful income to persons. This is our pilot, which will go for three months, and based on that, we will have recommendations for an expanded programme. The difference with this programme is that it cuts out the middleman. You are not having contractors getting a big amount of money. You are not financing gang activity. You are cutting out the middleman and giving liveable wages to the person who is doing the actual work.”
Minister Ameen said that the Upkeep of Public Spaces Programme is grounded in the UNC’s philosophy under Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar that the government must deliver results with transparency and integrity.
“Workers will be hired directly by the Ministry, and they will be assigned to the Regional Corporation. It removes the political middlemen. It eliminates the gang leaders who are being rewarded and awarded. It gives above minimum wage to the workers, and teams will be placed in the Municipal Corporation.”