Vacancies remain unfilled, school repair projects are progressing slowly, and Tobago’s Independence Day fireworks display nearly had to be cancelled.
According to THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, all three issues have a common factor: delays within the public procurement process, which are hampering key THA initiatives.
He recalled that several months ago, he announced that the THA’s 10-on, 10-off employment programme would end in August 2026, with workers expected to transition into hundreds of existing vacancies. However, he noted that the process remains incomplete.
“It was in 2022. I brought the union, I brought every administrator, and we sat down together at the Division of Finance, where my office was, and I gave clear instructions: Compile the list of vacancies, let us move. What year we in now? 2026. Still not done.”
Mr Augustine said he wants the vacancies filled before the start of the new fiscal year and has appointed a seven-member committee, chaired by retired technical officer Dereck Boseland, to address the issue.
He also raised concerns about the slow pace of the school repair programme, revealing that work had barely begun just weeks before the start of the new school term.
“When I met with them, all I heard was a set of excuses of why not, why not this, and people just not moving, taking inordinately long on things that can be done in a short space of time. Notwithstanding, there is already released $13.7 million.”
Despite the delays, Mr Augustine assured that schools will be ready for the September 7th reopening, with outstanding works continuing during the school term and Christmas vacation, if necessary.
Meanwhile, the Chief Secretary disclosed that Tobago’s Independence Day fireworks display nearly had to be cancelled because procurement procedures delayed the awarding of a contract.
“I am just annoyed that I have to pick up the phone and call and beg people to sponsor a fireworks when I was certain that the Secretary of Finance made releases for us to have a fireworks show.”
Mr Augustine said many of the challenges facing the Assembly can be traced back to projects becoming stalled in the procurement process.
“Everywhere you turn, you hear excuses about procurement. ‘It’s still at procurement. It’s still at procurement. Chief, it’s still at procurement. Chief, procurement ain’t finish it as yet.'”
Warning that he will no longer tolerate delays, the Chief Secretary said Secretaries, Administrators and public officers will be held accountable.
He also announced plans to digitise THA operations to allow projects to be tracked in real time and improve efficiency.
“To sit behind any device, see any project, see where the project is at, see which officer’s virtual desk the project is on, see who has not acted as yet, see if there are hurdles, why no action has taken place, get those hurdles fixed, those challenges fixed, so that we can just move.”
The new system is expected to streamline procurement processes and reduce delays when it comes on stream in October.