COP: Why spend $20m now on a building?

The Congress of the People (COP) is questioning government’s move to spend $20 million to outfit Alexandra Place to house the Chief Personnel Officer's Department.

It said in a media release that the country was already under economic strain because of the covid19 pandemic and to spend such a sum would be unfathomable.

The COP said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has forecast for TT a decline of 5.6 per cent for this year, a very small growth of 2.6 per cent for 2021 and another decrease by 2025 to 1.5 per cent.

“We have already seen via the 2020-2021 budget estimates that our revenue bases are shrinking, foreign exchange reserves are decreasing and likely to continue to do so in the short to medium term.

“More pressures are being placed on our social programmes, more individuals are finding themselves without sustainable jobs if any at all, there has been a freeze on government hiring in the public sector and the list goes on and on,” the COP said.

It called for fiscal prudence by Minister of Finance Colm Imbert and for the government to stop blaming past administrations.

The COP told the government that since it had been entrusted with the public purse, "Do not abuse that trust once more, but act diligently in ensuring we get the best use of our dwindling financial resources.

"We are already seeing the removal of several subsidies, the expected increases of commodities and utilities, yet this government finds scare funds to outfit a building."

It aslso asked the government and specifically the Minister of Finance to tread carefully and to avoid indiscriminate spending without giving proper reasoning.

It added that this move was defeating government’s intention to accelerate digitalisation of its services.

“Shouldn’t we be looking at using more flexi-time, remote working or even hot-desking? Can we truly become a digitally driven economically empowered society using this outdated method?” the COP questioned.

Last Wednesday Minister of Public Administration and Digitital Transformation Allyson West said in Parliament that $20 million will be used to outfit the building with work stations and furniture to accommodate staff, in a process that was not unusual.