YTEPP gives loans to employees

The Youth Training and Employment Partnership Programme (Ytepp) is in breach of ethical practices and has raised questions of improper spending of tax-payer funds through loans to staff and poor spending practices.

These issues were raised by a Public Accounts (Enterprises) Committee of Parliament today regarding a number of breaches to the state enterprises performance monitoring manual by Ytepp.

The main breach identified by the committee was the granting of low-interest or interest-free loans to Ytepp employees on a regular basis.

The matter was raised by Independent Senator David Small, who said what was happening with tax payers' money was a breach. He said an example of the unethical practices include an instance where an employee of received a loan of $20,000.00, even though CEO Nigel Forgenie said the maximum sum given as loan was approximately $10,000.00. Forgenie said that sum was an overpayment from 2013, which Small said was baffling as it is yet to be repaid to the enterprise.