PM: WASA bankrupt by UNC desal deal

THE National Trade Union Centre (Natuc ) and the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) are being called upon to give Government their suggestions as to how the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) should be restructured.

The Prime Minister said the union's input was necessary as an agreement made under a former UNC administration to buy desalinated water until 2034 has bankrupted WASA.

Dr Rowley made these statements at a PNM meeting at the Success Laventille Secondary School on Saturday.

Motioning at Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales who was sitting in the audience, the PM said: "I am instructing you now, Monday morning, write Natuc and JTUM and invite them to sit down with you."

He instructed Gonzales to tell Natuc and JTUM what is happening at WASA and get their suggestions as to how the company could be restructured to better serve the public. Rowley gave Gonzales six weeks to have these meetings and then tell Cabinet what was the outcome.

Responding to claims from certain quarters that he and the PNM are anti-labour, Rowley declared, "I am not anti-labour. Labour has brought good and improved conditions for workers around the world all the time."

He said, "What I am against is dotish labour leaders who are leading workers astray." Rowley said the PNM still has good connections with the labour movement and a history of party members who came from that movement.

Rowley said it is wrong for some people to claim political, religious and ethnic discrimination as the reason why they do not have a regular supply of water. He identified Penal/Debe Regional Corporation Dr Allen Sammy as one such person.

Rowley told Sammy, "When you have nothing useful to say just shut your mouth." He said many of WASA's current problems stem from an agreement that was signed in 1995-2000 under the then UNC government for the supply of water from Desalcott's desalination plant at Pt Lisas. He said this has resulted in a debt of US$324 million which has been growing over time.

This agreement, Rowley continued, comes to an end in 2034. Desalcott only provides 40 million gallons of water per day. He added, "This is only a fraction of what WASA needs to service the country."

Rowley said the majority of water is being supplied by WASA from non- desalinated water sources. "But that plant in Pt Lisas, which we are contracted to, till 2034, supplying 17 per cent of our water supply, has bankrupted WASA. WASA is bankrupt in the simplest of terms."

"That bankruptcy has not been effected because the Cabinet intervenes every so often and provides money, in this humongous way only for the supply of that desal water."