Minister of Public Utilities Marvin Gonzales will soon request a meeting with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to discuss the findings of the now completed Water and Sewage Authority (WASA) transformation plan.
“We are going to look at all the options that were presented and examined in the plan,” Gonzales said yesterday during a site visit to the Surrey Village Community Centre in Lopinot.
The plan was prepared by a sub-committee led by Housing and Urban Development Minister Pennelope Beckles. The main purpose was to find ways to improve the water supply for the population.
It looked at the organisational structure of the company, automation of treatment plants and the transmission and distribution of water.
“We’ve been talking about this transformation for some time and it’s time to get on with it because at the end of the day, we have to provide the people of Trinidad and Tobago with a reliable and sustainable level of service,” Gonzales said.
He said the transformation must start in this financial year.
“It must begin in the shortest time possible and I’m hoping that in weeks to come, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago will be informing the people of T&T what and how the transformation is going to roll out,” he said.
On March 28, the Industrial Court dismissed an application for an injunction by the Public Services Association (PSA) to stop any restructuring of the State entity in the absence of full consultation and negotiation with the union. The union intends to appeal the ruling at the Privy Council.
Gonzales, along with Minister of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe, visited the almost completed community centre in Surrey Village yesterday. Construction by Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) started in November 2020 but was halted due to the pandemic.
Gonzales said the project cost $13 million and will be completed in August.