MPs play political tennis over public utilities

IT was a strong game of political tennis as government MP and minister of Public Utilities Marvin Gonzales and opposition MP Barry Padarath debated issues on public utilities, namely the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), and the achievements and future of entities under Gonzales’ portfolio.

Gonzales opened the October 7 segment of the budget debate by saying come November, WASA would have a new executive. The company announced its new nine-member executive team headed by Keithroy Halliday in September. It is expected to assume office on November 1.

He also announced a number of new wells to be dug which are expected to deliver a better water supply to thousands of citizens.

Gonzales said in his contribution, “The public utilities sector is in good and better hands.”

He said in 2020, the Prime Minister said WASA needed to be examined to determine whether it was discharging its responsibilities to the country under its current structure.

A comprehensive review of the water sector and WASA was done and a report completed by the end of 2020.

The report called for a comprehensive transformation of WASA’s leadership and for a number of capital-invested projects to be undertaken to stabilise and improve the water supply to all citizens.

During his near hour-long contribution, Gonzales listed some of the projects undertaken and to be undertaken by the administration in delivering a better water supply to the country.

This was being done under several headings such as the Community Water Improvement Programme, the Strategic Action Plan to improve the supply of water in TT, the North West Water Improvement Programme and the National Water Stabilisation and Improvement Programme.

He said between 2020 and 2024, WASA completed over 191 projects all over TT.

He said over the last three years the government drilled 15 wells, increasing water production by over six million gallons.

Padarath questioned the information shared by Gonzales in the Parliament.

He said, “The minister had the audacity to stand in this House and tell us all the glowing things that is happening in the water sector when every Monday morning, including in his own constituency, people are protesting every single day because of dry taps.

“And dry taps not for one day, Mr (Deputy) Speaker, but sometimes, it goes on for days, if not months.”
He said this was the reality of the water sector in TT.

Padarath also called on Gonzales to address issues in the Telecommunications Services (TSTT) and last year’s cyber attack, which Gonzales did not speak about during his contribution.