Former TTHTI CEO seeks to clear air on closure

FORMER chief executive officer of the TT Hospitality and Tourism Institute (TTHTI), Brian Frontin is defending the closure of the school saying that it was haemorrhaging cash for years and, without government intervention, closure was inevitable.

In a detailed 28-page media release, Frontin said the Government was made aware of the impending closure and did nothing about it. Frontin sought to clear the air amidst mounting criticism that he mismanaged the school’s finances resulting in the collapse.

In a media release last Friday, the board of directors said it could no longer keep the doors of the Chaguaramas-based institution open as mounting debt and the pandemic forced its closure.

In a media release on Saturday, Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly said the government funded part of TTHTI’s capital budget and provided them with further financial assistance through the Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses (GATE) programme.

“Between 2016 and 2018, the Ministry of Education made several efforts to meet with the TTHTI to discuss certain anomalies as well as non-compliance with the reporting requirements established by the Ministry of Finance. The TTHTI failed to account for several years of expenditure specifically related to its subventions which were in the order millions of Trinidad and Tobago dollars per year.”

Gadsby-Dolly said the institution’s annual administrative reports from 2013/2014 onwards remain outstanding.

“Under these circumstances, the subventions made to the Institution ceased in 2016. All efforts by the MoE to have this situation remedied have not been met with compliance.”

Frontin became CEO in 2015. In his response, he said he wrote to the ministry and the Prime Minister seeking government intervention on July 9.

He added that when he took up the role as chief executive officer, TTHTI had no documented agreement between the Government and the institution as it related to subventions outside of GATE funding. He claimed this was part of a "gentleman’s agreement."

The institution also failed to adjust its fees in the 17 years prior to him taking over to match the current cost of living. He said he asked for immediate financial intervention by the Government since then as the pandemic forced the school to close resulting in no tuition funds added to outstanding government funds.

“The letter brought to the attention that the protracted closure period (March to July) had significantly eroded the institute’s working capital and stymied the achievement of revenue forecasts outlined in its viable growth plan, initiated in December 2019.

“I also provided a rational basis on how working capital support from the Government could be provided to the TTHTI, i.e. providing a portion of previously unpaid recurrent subvention amounts that were allocated in national budgets 2017 to 2019 in respect of the TTHTI. The minister was also advised that if the TTHTI did not receive urgent assistance, it would be unable to continue its operations after July 31. There was no response.”

Frontin resigned his position on July 31.