标签： Trinidad and Tobago

A explosive revelation of rampant public fund mismanagement has rocked Trinidad’s parliamentary budget hearings, as current Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath has exposed exorbitant waste left behind by the former People’s National Movement (PNM) government, centered on a jaw-dropping $3 million annual rent payment for a 20-foot shipping container used to store On-the-Job Training (OJT) Programme application forms.

Padarath made the disclosure during a sitting of Parliament’s Standing Finance Committee (SFC), the body tasked with reviewing government budget allocations. The OJT programme, a national youth employment initiative that currently serves just over 4,000 trainees, was recently transferred to the Ministry of Public Utilities, which received a total $3.6 billion allocation up for review during the hearings. The minister told committee members the programme was handed over in complete disarray, with one of the most staggering irregularities being the ongoing container rental agreement.

According to Padarath, his ministry’s permanent secretary confirmed the annual $3 million rent cost for the small storage unit, located on the grounds of the OJT head office in Chaguanas. The minister declined to name the container’s owner during public proceedings, but emphasized that the wasteful arrangement would be terminated immediately as part of a full digitization overhaul of the OJT’s application system.

Padarath explained that the container is already filled to capacity with paper applications, some of which are more than five years old, creating an urgent need to modernize the entire registration process. Under the planned reforms, all future applications will move to a fully digital online system, and all applicants with forms older than five years will be required to complete a streamlined re-registration process to make the programme more accessible for young people accustomed to digital services. When queried by reporters from the Express following the SFC sitting, Padarath confirmed the $3 million figure and added that authorities are already in the process of scrapping the rental agreement, with an official announcement of the new digital system expected in the coming weeks.

The minister slammed the exorbitant rental cost as a clear example of the PNM administration’s brazen “squandermania” of public funds, noting that a brand new 20-foot container can be purchased outright for as little as $10,000, with a maximum market price of around $40,000. Independent checks by the Express confirmed this market range, finding more than a dozen 20-foot containers listed for private sale within that price bracket. During a visit to the Chaguanas OJT office, reporters also observed two shipping containers on-site, one of which was visibly in dilapidated condition. Padarath noted he would release further details on the rental agreement once he has completed a full review of records.

The container scandal is not the only example of waste Padarath has highlighted. He also called out an additional $1.2 million in unnecessary spending on a renovation of the ministry’s executive floor, carried out in 2025 by former PNM minister Colm Imbert solely because he disliked the existing carpet and teacup arrangements. An extra $90,000 is still required this year to cover the final costs of that vanity project, the minister added.

“This level of wastage and mismanagement by the PNM is not surprising but it has put the country in the position it is today,” Padarath stated, accusing the former administration of spending lavishly on frivolous, ego-driven projects while leaving critical public service priorities underfunded.

Beyond the financial irregularities, Padarath outlined sweeping planned reforms for the OJT programme, which will be realigned to match current staffing needs across government ministries and public sector departments. Currently, more than 4,000 trainees are enrolled in the initiative, all admitted under the previous administration’s intake policies. Padarath confirmed that all currently enrolled trainees will be allowed to complete their full tenures in the programme, but future intakes will be restructured to better align with public sector employment needs. A formal policy statement on new recruitment will be released in the near future, as the review process is already underway following the programme’s transfer to the Ministry of Public Utilities.

Padarath also detailed the depth of operational dysfunction inherited from the PNM, noting that multiple key staff vacancies remain unfilled and the programme has effectively been “running on autopilot.” He added that the condition of OJT facilities is so deplorable that many staff members leave work after just three hours on-site, with operations at the Chaguanas office currently only running from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. before staff depart. The minister said his ministry is working alongside the MTS to rehabilitate facilities, fill critical staffing gaps, and overhaul operational efficiency. These changes, he emphasized, are necessary to modernize the OJT programme and ensure it delivers meaningful value for both trainees and the Trinidadian public sector.

A heated debate between government and opposition lawmakers unfolded during a recent sitting of Parliament’s Standing Finance Committee, centering on employment security at Trinidad and Tobago’s Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) following a marked reduction in the agency’s personnel budget.

Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath opened clarification on the situation, acknowledging that short-term contract workers at WASA are currently reaching the end of their contract tenures, but moving quickly to reassure both permanent and established workers that their positions remain fully secure despite the $60 million cut to WASA’s personnel allocation.

The exchange was triggered by Opposition MP Marvin Gonzales, who raised urgent concerns that dozens of WASA contract employees had already received formal termination notices advising their appointments would not be renewed when they expire at the end of October. Gonzales pressed Padarath to confirm whether the non-renewals were directly tied to the “drastic reduction” in the agency’s personnel budget for the 2024/2025 financial year.

Padarath pushed back against the implication that the budget cut would force permanent layoffs, noting the reduction stemmed from a rollback of inflated National Insurance contribution allocations put in place by the former People’s National Movement (PNM) administration. He emphasized that the adjusted allocation is a routine part of the annual budgetary process, not a signal of planned workforce reductions. To reinforce this guarantee, Padarath shared that Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo has already pledged to provide supplementary funding to WASA if additional resources are needed to retain existing employees. “Therefore I give all employees on the establishment the commitment this morning that this will not impact their employment status at WASA,” Padarath stated during the committee sitting.

When Gonzales pressed on with questions about the already issued non-renewal notices, Padarath countered that the opposition lawmaker was well-versed in WASA’s standard short-term hiring framework. He explained that most short-term contracts at the agency run for just three or six months, and it is standard administrative practice to issue expiration notices when these terms reach their end, regardless of broader budget levels. Short-term hiring is adjusted based on ongoing operational needs, he added.

Padarath also called out Gonzales for what he framed as a contradictory position, recalling that just a few months prior, the opposition MP had publicly criticized WASA for hiring more than 500 new workers. “He speaks on one side of his mouth,” Padarath said, noting Gonzales’ past condemnation of overhiring now contrasts with his current concerns about contract expirations. The minister once again stressed that no permanent WASA employees will face retrenchment as a result of the adjusted budget allocation.

Gonzales rejected the accusation of inconsistency, explaining that his earlier opposition to the 500 new hires stemmed from concerns that the recruitment was being manipulated for political gain, not from opposition to hiring itself. He maintained that his current concern for out-of-contract workers is entirely separate from his past objections to politically motivated hiring.

Pressing for greater transparency, Gonzales asked Padarath to release the full breakdown of WASA’s current contractual workforce. In response, the minister disclosed that WASA currently employs 4,064 workers on short-term contracts, plus an additional 13 workers on fixed-term contracts and 41 executive management staff on contracts, bringing the total contractual workforce to 4,118. He added that the agency also employs more than 600 permanent staff.

Closing out the debate, Padarath reaffirmed the current government’s dual commitment to protecting stable employment at WASA while maintaining responsible fiscal management of the agency’s finances. He repeated that any unplanned funding needed to meet employment obligations will be covered through supplementary government allocations if required.

A high-stakes investigation into one of Trinidad and Tobago’s most senior judicial figures entered the public eye this week after local police executed a search warrant at the home of Acting Chief Magistrate Brian Debideen, seizing multiple electronic devices as part of a cross-border law enforcement probe. The investigation, which covers allegations of money laundering, fraudulent activity, public corruption, and bribery, has drawn public statements from Debideen’s legal team, the national judiciary, and top government officials, all of whom have emphasized adherence to core legal principles amid growing public scrutiny.

On Monday, officers carried out the court-authorized search at Debideen’s residence in Gulf View, San Fernando, removing electronic equipment specified in the warrant. The operation forms part of a wider collaborative probe involving both local and international law enforcement agencies, details of which remain under wraps as the investigation progresses.

In a formal statement released yesterday, Debideen’s legal team — comprising attorneys Prakash Ramadhar, Michael Rooplal, and Vishan Girwar — issued a categorical denial of any wrongdoing on behalf of their client, while confirming full cooperation with investigating officers. The attorneys stressed that a search warrant is a routine investigative step, not evidence of guilt, and that Debideen retains the fundamental legal right to the presumption of innocence.

“It is important to emphasise that the execution of a search warrant is an investigative measure and does not, of itself, establish that any offence has been committed by the person whose premises are searched,” the legal team said. “No adverse inference of guilt should be drawn merely from the execution of such a warrant. Our client remains entitled to the full protection of the law, including the presumption of innocence and the right to due process.”

The statement added that Debideen voluntarily handed over all devices requested in the warrant and commended police for their professional conduct during the search. “Our client cooperated fully with law enforcement officers during the presentation of the search warrant, and he handed over all relevant devices to the police officers present as stipulated on the warrant,” the statement read. “Our client recognises the lawful authority of investigative agencies and respects the legal process. We also commend the police officers for the professionalism they displayed during the presentation of the warrant.”

While Debideen does not challenge the authority of law enforcement to conduct a lawful probe, his attorneys warned against premature conclusions and unsubstantiated speculation that could not only harm their client’s reputation but also erode public trust in the country’s justice system. Given Debideen’s position as the acting head of the magistracy, the legal team stressed that the investigation must proceed independently, free from public conjecture and undue influence.

“Unsubstantiated allegations and public speculation risk causing unwarranted prejudice, not only to our client’s reputation and professional standing, but also to public confidence in the administration of justice,” the statement said. “It is particularly important, given the judicial office held by our client, that the investigative process be permitted to proceed independently, fairly and without speculation, conjecture or premature conclusions.”

The attorneys added that Debideen remains committed to the ethical principles of his judicial office, and that they would not comment on the substance of the ongoing investigation to protect its integrity. “Our client categorically denies any wrongdoing. He remains steadfast in his commitment to the rule of law, the proper administration of justice and the principles of integrity and impartiality which underpin the judicial office he holds,” they said. “In deference to the integrity of the investigative process, and mindful of our client’s judicial responsibilities, we do not intend to comment upon the substance of any ongoing investigation at this stage. Our client expects that the process will be conducted fairly, independently and in accordance with the law.”

The legal team’s statement aligned with separate public comments from the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago and Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles, both of which have called for adherence to due process, fairness, and the presumption of innocence. In a brief official release yesterday, the national judiciary acknowledged the public reports of the search warrant and reaffirmed three core legal principles that apply to all individuals regardless of position: due process, the presumption of innocence, and equality before the law.

“The Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago is aware of reports concerning the execution of a search warrant in relation to the Acting Chief Magistrate,” the release said. “The Judiciary recognises the importance of the core legal principles of due process, the presumption of innocence and that all persons are considered to be equal before the law.”

Citing the need to protect the fairness and integrity of ongoing processes, the judiciary said it would refrain from additional comment at this time. Top government officials have also declined to weigh in on the active investigation. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar told reporters yesterday that she would not comment on a probe of this “critical nature”, noting that the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) leads the investigation and she has not been privy to details. Attorney General John Jeremie also declined comment, confirming only that the matter remains an active police investigation.

The search and subsequent public disclosures follow an exclusive report published on Tuesday by the *Trinidad Express*, which first broke news of the Monday search operation at Debideen’s home.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has launched a sharp critique of the former People’s National Movement (PNM) administration, calling for the complete elimination of what she terms the long-entrenched “swine culture” fostered by the party as a critical step to unlock prosperity for the nation’s working and middle classes.

In a statement shared to social media over the weekend, Persad-Bissessar drew on the late political commentator Dr Morgan Job’s popularized phrase “swine culture” – a term originally coined to describe a broad decline in social, political and moral standards across the twin-island nation. She outlined a damning portrait of the PNM’s time in office, accusing the previous government of nurturing a toxic system marked by widespread dependency, public dishonesty, routine lawlessness and pervasive mediocrity. Under this system, she claims, well-connected political insiders and wealthy elites exploited public resources through rigged welfare schemes, opaque government contracts and patronage-based public sector hiring, leaving ordinary citizens locked out of economic opportunity.

This exclusion has created a widespread sentiment among working- and middle-class Trinbagonians that access to advancement is reserved only for those with money, political connections, or the right personal networks, Persad-Bissessar said. “They are the backbone of this country, carrying its weight every day, yet they have been repeatedly sidelined in national conversations about the economic hardship so many of them face,” she added. “That long-standing imbalance must be corrected to put power and opportunity back in the hands of everyday people who contribute to our nation.”

The Prime Minister laid out her administration’s policy path to address this inequality, confirming that her government will continue rolling out cuts to wasteful welfare programs, corrupt patronage-driven employment schemes and underperforming state agencies. These cuts, she explained, will free up critical national revenue that can be redirected to support hardworking, law-abiding citizens who contribute positively to national life. “My government will channel public funds toward citizens who work honestly, pay their taxes, follow the law, take responsibility for themselves and their families, and treat their communities with respect,” she said.

Addressing the core demands of her base, Persad-Bissessar emphasized that working- and middle-class Trinbagonians are not seeking handouts or special treatment – they are asking for a fair shot at success. “They do not need miracles. They need a level playing field that stops rewarding the laziness, graft, negative attitudes and dishonesty that define the PNM’s swine culture,” she noted.

She doubled down on her criticism of the former administration’s cultural impact, arguing that the PNM normalized lawlessness, eroded public discipline, and fostered antisocial attitudes that devalued honest labor and personal accountability. According to Persad-Bissessar, the previous government went beyond mismanaging public funds: it actively cultivated a culture that celebrated non-productive socializing and mediocrity, rejected independent critical thinking, and disregarded personal responsibility, while eroding respect for long-held community standards and discouraging the hard work that drives national progress.

Looking ahead, the Prime Minister confirmed that further restructuring and cuts are on the agenda. “Wasteful welfare schemes, corrupt employment programs, and non-performing state agencies and their employees will continue to face targeted cuts under my administration,” she said, cementing her government’s commitment to reshaping national policy and public culture to advance the interests of Trinidad and Tobago’s majority working and middle classes.