Garcia tells schools maxi transport money will be in their accounts by this evening

EDUCATION Minister Anthony Garcia sought to give assurance maxi taxi drivers who transport school children will be paid all of their outstanding arrears. He said he has been told that as early as this afternoon, cheques will be deposited in their bank accounts.

During the sitting of the House of Representatives on Monday afternoon, Garcia responded to a question from MP for Mayaro Rushton Parray about the withholding of the service by the Association of Maxi Taxi School Transport Concessionaires of TT, because of outstanding payment. Garica said he has been assured that they have the necessary funds to pay all the maxi taxi drivers.

The minister explained for March 2018, “We have permission from the Comptroller of Accounts, “to cut the cheque and that has been done and I am assured the payment should be in the banks of the maxi taxi drivers by this afternoon.”

“For April, invoices were received from the PTSC but there were some adjustments to be made. The PTSC has to resubmit the invoices with the necessary corrections. In May, invoices were submitted to the MOE by the PTSC on Sunday, yesterday. We have our staff working assiduously at this point, and I have been told that two-thirds of these invoices have been completed and what ever adjustments need to be made those were made.”

Garcia also told the House that for the months of June and July, they also received invoices from the PTSC on Sunday, but there was a glitch.

“In some instances, submissions were incomplete, for example, claims for drivers from the south were not received. We have contacted the PTSC, asking them to get in contact with the drivers in the southern areas so they can submit their invoices.

“We have been assured we have the necessary funds, so all the maxi taxi drivers can be paid, once they received the invoices and once it is verified.”