WASA CEO 'acting' for two years

LAND and Physical Infrastructure Joint Select Committee (JSC) chairman Deoroop Teemal observed on Wednesday that out of the eight top executive posts in the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), people are acting in seven of them.

Teemal made the comment after Opposition Senator Anil Roberts asked WASA CEO Alan Poon King, during a virtual committee meeting, whether or not he has been confirmed in that position.

In response, Poon King said, "I have been acting in the position since December 2018."

He added that WASA's board will be directed by the Public Utilities Ministry in due course as to whether or not he will be confirmed.

Roberts replied,"I would just like, on your behalf and on behalf of the people of TT, (to) hope that the acting is over, because we are not in Hollywood. We are in TT and we need water."

Teemal then said according to information provided by WASA, Poon-King was one of seven people acting in top executive positions at the authority.

In response to questions from Point Fortin MP Kennedy Richards Jr, WASA human resource manager May Ann Diaz said WASA's total workforce is currently 4,923 employees. She said 4,803 of these were regular staff, and the remainder comprised people in executive positions or people hired to undertake certain specialist functions.

Responding to questions from Teemal, Poon King said there are no inconsistencies between WASA's 2017-2020 strategic plan and its 2018-2022 transformational plan. He explained that neither plan will be affected by any proposed restructuring of WASA, which is currently being considered by the Cabinet.

Poon King lamented that WASA had only been able to implement 17 per cent of its transformational plan up to the end of 2020. He was hopeful that within the next two to three years, the remainder can be implemented.

Poon King said WASA uses a combination of in-house or contracted services to undertake different projects under its purview.

He also said out of 72 wastewater treatment plants built by the Housing Development Corporation (HDC), WASA has adopted 13 of them so far.