The Minister of Public Utilities, Barry Padarath, is adamant that the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) will no longer be mismanaged, misused, or misled.
The Minister made the statement following the Privy Council’s judgment in favour of WASA against Uniform Building Contractors Limited, which arose out of a contract awarded in May 2007 for the laying of pipelines from Rio Claro to Mayaro. The matter involved a breach of contract claim linked to alleged orally approved variations to the pipeline works, including roadway excavation, additional material removal and backfilling, and night-time construction. Read more here: https://www.ttt.live/wasa-wins-in-privy-council/
Minister Padarath said the Privy Council’s judgment firmly reinforces the rules governing public contracts and sends a clear message to contractors.
“The Privy Council has now sent a powerful and unmistakable message: contractors who bid low and then attempt to inflate prices through informal variations and oral approvals do so at their own peril. Written contracts matter. Procedures matter. And public authorities are entitled to certainty and protection when spending public funds. This judgment is a dagger to the heart of the old culture of abuse, informality, and opportunism that thrived under the previous administration. It restores discipline to public procurement and draws a clear line against the manipulation of scope, risk, and responsibility after contracts are signed.”
The Public Utilities Minister said the matter exposed a deeply troubling culture of mismanagement, recklessness, and contractual indiscipline that flourished at WASA under the former PNM Government.
“Let us be clear: this case did not arise in a vacuum. It arose from events that took place squarely under the watch of the previous administration. It arose during a period when WASA was allowed to operate with weak oversight, porous internal controls, and a casual disregard for proper contract administration. The result was a contract that spiralled wildly out of control, with a contractor seeking to extract an additional multi-million-dollar payment long after the contract price had supposedly been fixed. How does a pipeline contract awarded for approximately $28 million suddenly attract claims for an additional $14 million? That is not coincidence. That is not bad luck. That is the predictable consequence of poor governance.”
Minister Padarath vowed that corrupt matters will continue to be dealt with by the Government.
“I have instructed the WASA Board and management to carefully scrutinise all outstanding contractor claims inherited from the previous administration. Claims that are legitimate will be honoured. Claims that are inflated, irregular, or rooted in procedural breaches will be vigorously resisted. The people of Trinidad and Tobago deserve better than a public utility held hostage by poor contracts and worse oversight. They deserve transparency, accountability, and value for money.”
Minister Padarath also commended WASA’s legal team for seeing this matter through to its conclusion and praised the new leadership at WASA for standing firm in defence of the public purse.
“Today’s judgment marks a turning point. It signals that the days of reckless contracting, wink-and-nod approvals, and silent bleeding of public funds are over.”