Gonzales: $66m WASA wage cut does not mean firings

PUBLIC Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales says a $66 million cut in WASA's allocation for contract employment in the budget did not mean there were firings at the authority.

He said so during the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives meeting on October 14, in reply to several questions by the Opposition.

The estimates of revenue and expenditure for statutory bodies show WASA facing a $66 million decrease from last year to the 2025 estimate. In 2023, $458 million was spent, while last year just $124 million was allocated, but a whopping $466 million was actually spent. For 2025, it is set at $399 million.

The document also showed plans for a 2025 cutting of salaries by $37 million, wages and COLA by $16 million, monthly-paid overtime by $18 million and daily-paid overtime by $10 million. Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh asked about the $66 million cut.

Gonzales said government was streamlining executive management positions at WASA.

Indarsingh asked if the reduced allocation indicated workers would be retrenched. "I am not saying that," the minister said.

He said WASA's leadership was being restructured and streamlined to reduce its financial burden. Noting the $66 million cut, Indarsingh asked how many fewer personnel would WASA have.

Gonzales said the figures arose from an intention to shift more executive management staff into permanent positions. Asked the numbers of personnel to be affected, the minister said he did not have those figures at hand.

Princes Town MP Barry Padarath then asked what would be the salary for the incoming WASA CEO, but Gonzales who said he did not have those details yet, gave an undertaking to find out. Padarath then asked the salaries of nine new managers at WASA and again the minister promised a future written reply.

Padarath asked if a $2 million rise in WASA's security bill would be to pay for security for the new CEO, but Gonzales said this was to settle outstanding balances.

Couva North MP Ravi Ratiram asked about last year's leap in spending on water trucks, which rose from an initial estimate of $18 million to a revised estimate of $40 million – with $44 million due to be spent this year. Gonzales explained that TT had "a very difficult dry season in 2024."

He said the outlook was for a continuation of harsh, dry conditions, necessitating an extra allocation for water-trucking especially for under-served areas.

Ratiram asked about a $26 million allocation in 2025 for road reinstatement, which was the same sum spent last year.

Gonzales said it is WASA's responsibility to repair a road as soon as it is dug up for a leak to be fixed.

Caroni Central MP Arnold Ram complained that he had tried to get two roads repaired, only to be told he needed a reference number.

Gonzales said WASA had no policy but rather was under an obligation to repair roads it had dug up. He acknowledged Ram may be frustrated over any delay. "That policy or that obligation does not exist in reality," Ram said.

Regarding the lighting of recreational parks, Indarsingh asked if grounds at Beaucarro Road, Couva, would be included in a $6 million allocation for all parks. Gonzales said he thought that park was already lit.

"You can't tell me it is lit when I have been pleading with successive ministers to light it," Indarsingh stormed, as he accused Gonzales of seeking to mislead the meeting. "There have been no responses. I have a responsibility to advocate."

Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George told Indarsingh not to use the word "mislead" and to find some other word to express his views.

Indarsingh replied, "What other word you want me to use? 'Mislead' is unparliamentary?"

Gonzales promised to get a ministry team to investigate and report to him on how to improve that park's infrastructure.

Indarsingh shot, "There is no infrastructure at Beaucarro Road recreation grounds." He offered to make a Tik Tok video to prove this to the minister.

Padarath asked which grounds were to be targeted for lighting in fiscal 2025. Gonzales promised to get those details.

Ratiram named about eight recreation grounds in Couva North needing an upgrade including ones in Jerry Junction and Korea Village. Saying youngsters use these grounds for sport which can keep them away from bad activities, Ratiram pleaded for some in his constituency to be repaired.

Gonzales said his ministry gets numerous requests for grounds to be lit.

With the allocation down from $10 million spent last year to $6 million in 2025, he said there was no way that allocation could fulfil all demands to light grounds.