No new funds for contract employment at Integrity Commission

No new allocation was made for contract employment at the Integrity Commission, despite the body stating in its 2022 report that it did not have enough staff to carry out its duties.

Opposition MP Saddam Hosein questioned Finance Minister Colm Imbert about this decision during the standing finance committee meeting on Tuesday when the allocation for the organisation was being discussed.

Hosein asked why, since the Integrity Commission in its 2022 report had said it was in a financial stranglehold and didn’t have staff, there had been no money allocated to contract employment.

Imbert responded that he had not seen the report. “I am not privy to those complaints. In 2023, there was no allocation. I can’t associate myself with your remarks.”

Hosein said those were not his remarks but those of the Commission. Imbert again responded,

“That is what you are saying, but I can’t associate myself with your remarks.”

Hosein said he would print a copy of the report and give it to the Finance Minister. Imbert said he would appreciate it. He then said the matter is under consideration by the Cabinet.

Hosein said, “What the complaint is Minister, is that based on the setup right now, there are several investigations that can’t take place because they have to hire people on short-term contracts for a three-month period, and once those contracts expire, these people are privy to confidential information and investigations last for more than three months, so they’re asking for longevity of staff. Can you say how urgently this matter will be dealt with by the Cabinet?”

Imbert said it would be dealt with as soon as possible.

Responding to a question from Hosein on staffing at the Integrity Commission, he said there were ten vacancies in the establishment of the body. Asked when government would fill the vacancies, he reminded Hosein that the vacancies are to be filled by the Public Service Commission and no government or government minister had any role in that process, “except to try to ask them to speed up.”

He also said he would investigate why no allocation had been made for reform of the Integrity Commission and digitisation of its records.

Imbert said the $48,000 allocated to the commission, which was less than the actual spend of $69,000 in 2023, was for copy paper.

During the discussion on the allocation made to the Elections and Boundaries Commission, Imbert said the national field verification exercise had been completed in both constituencies in Tobago, and was ongoing in 14 of the 39 constituencies in Trinidad.

He was responding to queries from Pointe-a-Pierre MP David Lee as to why no funds had been allocated to the exercise in 2022 and Barataria/San Juan MP Saddam Hosein as to why the allocation in 2023 had been reduced by half from $20 million to $10 million in 2023.

“The two constituencies in Tobago have been completed, and it has been commenced in 14 of the 39 constituencies in Trinidad, but not completed. I can get the actual list to you in writing.”

Imbert said no allocation had been made for the upgrading of the electronic voter registration and election management system in 2024 because new contracts were being negotiated. He said once the amount was known, funds would be made available during the mid-year review.