"Questionable employment" within the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) and the contractor system in the Community-based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (Cepep) are being reviewed as the Government restructures both projects. Confirmation of a review of each programme came yesterday from the respective ministers in charge, who said restructuring was being done for the new 2010/2011 financial year. Labour Minister Errol McLeod, whose ministry supervises URP, confirmed a restructuring of URP, including review of situations of PNMites who continuously get the "lion's share of work."
Housing Minister Roodal Moonilal, under whose portfolio Cepep falls, confirmed the review of Cepep's contractor system and contractors. The system was started under the previous PNM administration. In the 2010-2011 budget presentation, Finance Minister Winston Dookeran said the budget supported an extensive social safety net which includes temporary jobs through URP, as well as other avenues. Dookeran had added: "Our new policy will improve the efficiency and relevance of these programmes."
On August 15, Works Minister Jack Warner complained that grumbling People's Partnership supporters were "not even getting URP jobs" and their patience was wearing thin. He said he was advised that "others" were still in control of URP and were "laughing at us."
Warner said then that McLeod had promised to restart the URP in two weeks, changing operations. Yesterday, McLeod confirmed the URP had received a budgetary allocation of $380 million for 2010-2011.
"We will be restructuring the programme and we'll be looking at service delivery and whether it is run truly efficiently–we'll simply be reviewing the entire thing with a view to getting value for money," McLeod said. Asked how this would affect current workers who were employed under the last administration, McLeod added: "One has to look at the question of questionable employment...people who were known to be PNM who seem to have been having the lion's share all the time–that will have to be reviewed."
He said the situation was supposed to be conducted on a rotation basis. McLeod noted the number of fortnights workers serve each quarter, including a maximum of six fortnights per quarter. Asked how the review might affect PNMites who may be in charge of supervising some aspects of the programme, McLeod said: "The programme is being reorganised to meet what it was intended to do–assist in providing short-term employment for those who qualify."
On Warner's call for jobs for People's Partnership supporters, McLeod said the URP was being reviewed and overhauled. "And this is with a view that we provide short-term employment to all citizens who are registered with the programme and who qualify for the assistance it has given...we're looking at the registration programme now to see how equitable distribution has been and we're reviewing everything," McLeod said.
"I don't see people as PNM or PP or such thing, I see people as persons who may be out of work and who ought to be treated as people and there will be transparency in the programme as never seen before." Where the Cepep is concerned, line minister Moonilal said the programme received the same level of budgetary funding for 2010/2011 as before–$320 million. "We are reforming the programme and looking at the contractor system to ensure workers are protected and enjoy worker benefits on par with other workers in the public sector," he said. Asked about Cepep contractors, many of whom came into force with the last PNM administration, Moonilal said: "We're reviewing the contractors right now to ensure there is a geographical equity in terms of provision of services to various regions of T&T.
"But we will not be acting in a reckless manner...we are reviewing the system so contractors will remain in the system while we undertake an assessment," he said. Asked about Warner's comments about jobs for People's Partnership supporters, Moonilal said: "We're committed to equity and justice and we cannot recklessly remove contractors regardless of their political persuasion–then we would be behaving just like the PNM did and effectively there would be no change. "But we will assess the programme and reform the contractor system," he said. Moonilal said he expected the review to be completed within a month.