URP cleansing – it's about time

THE EDITOR: The recent decision by Rural Development and Local Government Minister Khadijah Ameen, which led to the termination of 400 workers from the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP), sent shockwaves across TT.

As expected, the PNM, some union representatives and some displaced workers have condemned the move as “unfair” and “politically motivated.” Yet, I stand in full endorsement of this bold and decisive action.

For too long, the URP has been reduced to a cesspool of corruption, patronage and waste. What Minister Ameen has done is not victimisation, it is cleansing. It is a firm step toward restoring accountability in a programme long exploited at the expense of taxpayers.

The URP was originally conceived as a safety net, a way to provide temporary jobs and income relief to the unemployed. In principle, it was meant to alleviate poverty while offering dignity through work.

However, in practice, it became little more than a political tool, manipulated by successive governments for electoral gain. Reports of “ghost gangs,” inflated payrolls and fraudulent payments are nothing new.

Every citizen knows someone who has been “on the URP books” but has never lifted a shovel. What Ameen has uncovered is not shocking – it is confirmation of what the public already knew.

The difference this time is that a government has chosen to act decisively rather than sweep the rot under the carpet. Minister Ameen made it clear: this is not about replacing PNM ghosts with UNC ghosts. This is about removing these ghosts, period!

Her stance strikes at the heart of a culture of corruption that has eaten away at our institutions. The idea that one individual could amass $100,000 a month from fraudulent salaries is a national disgrace. That a student studying in Jamaica could still be listed as a paid URP worker is an insult to every honest taxpayer.

Opponents argue that the move was heartless, that hundreds of families have now been left in uncertainty. I empathise with those genuine workers who now face hardship. Some have been with the programme for years, supporting children in schools and universities, paying rent, and keeping their households afloat. Their pain is real.

However, we must ask a hard question: should the country continue to fund corruption just because some individuals make a living on it? The answer must clearly be, no.

This government has pledged to redirect funds toward more meaningful jobs with greater security and dignity. For too long, URP has been synonymous with “make work,” where digging a hole today only to fill it tomorrow passes for employment.

We must shift from ghost jobs and token labour to real, sustainable opportunities. If Ameen succeeds in restructuring the URP into a transparent system that offers genuine employment, she will have performed a service to the nation that generations will remember.

The PNM’s outrage, led by chairman Marvin Gonzales, rings hollow.

This is the same party that presided over decades of URP abuse. For them to now cry foul is political theatrics. They accuse the UNC of being “rampaging and unhinged” when in truth, it is the PNM’s legacy of institutionalised corruption that created the present mess.

If the numbers are correct, that over 30,000 workers across various programmes have been dismissed since the new government took office, then perhaps what we are witnessing is a systematic dismantling of a patronage machine.

That said, government must not ignore the human element.

Restructuring cannot simply mean firing workers and walking away. Minister Ameen and her colleagues must follow through with clear plans for retraining, redeployment, and the creation of alternative jobs.

Displaced workers particularly women, single mothers, and older employees deserve a pathway forward. Accountability must go hand in hand with compassion. At its core, this is about national renewal.

Every dollar stolen by ghost workers is a dollar denied to schools, hospitals and infrastructure. By taking this stand, Ameen has demonstrated courage and vision. She has shown that governance is not about popularity contests but about doing what is right.

Her action is a reminder that leadership sometimes means making difficult decisions that will be unpopular in the short term but necessary for the long-term health of the country. I commend her resolve. The road ahead will not be easy.

The PNM will continue to howl, unions will mobilise and detractors will cry victimisation. But if government stays the course clearing out corruption, instituting transparency, and creating real jobs then history will vindicate this moment.

For the first time in decades, we may finally see the URP become what it was meant to be: a programme that provides honest work for honest pay, not a vehicle for political manipulation.

I am in total endorsement of Minister Khadijah Ameen’s action.

Rooting out corruption is never painless, but it is always necessary. The ghost gangs must go, the fraud must end and taxpayers must no longer be held hostage by political gimmicks.

Let this be the beginning of a new standard in governance where merit replaces manipulation, and the people of Trinidad and Tobago can finally trust that their hard-earned money is being used in their best interest.

PAUL SARRAN

Via email