Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley expects to complete his review of the report on Sports Minister Darryl Smith’s controversial Tobago trip in the “not-too-distant future” and determine what action he’ll take.
Rowley confirmed this yesterday at a media briefing during the Parliamentary tea break, where he also poke about his Chile state visit, starting tomorrow and upcoming “action” at the Port Authority of T&T. (See page 6)
Rowley addressed Smith’s $92,000 Tobago trip as well as Tourism Minister Shamfa Cudjoe’s $59,000 Bahamas cell phone bill - issues which have put his Government under scrutiny and facing criticism in some cases.
Smith has been under fire for undertaking the trip to attend the Tobago House of Assembly Sports Awards function last weekend and staying at the Magdalena Grand.
The PM had sought and received a report on the issue from Smith on Thursday. Yesterday, Rowley said he’d received a lot of information on the matter and added he was very disappointed at reports coming out on the Sports Ministry.
“But I wasn’t overwhelmed by it as I’m leading a young Cabinet and I have a responsibility to ensure they’re guided in the appropriate way,” he added.
Rowley said he thought he’d been doing that, but maybe not enough guidance would have fallen into the Sports Ministry.
“I take responsibility for that,” he said.
The PM admitted there was a bit of extravagance in the Tobago issue.
“I make no apology for that. When I reached out to young people to come forward and take responsibility for this country, I will hold them responsible for taking on that assignment.”
But he said he hoped the country as well as his Cabinet team will appreciate T&T’s economic circumstances.
While the PM said he “didn’t want us to overdo the condemnation,” he also noted that during Local Government campaigning he’d made the point that taxpayers’ money wasn’t available to office holders to have a good time, “there’s no amount of justification (for that).”
Rowley said he for instance, had never had a meal in the Office of the Prime Minister and didn’t know where they served meals. He said he didn’t have breakfast, lunch or dinner at the Prime Minister’s residence, and would only partake if his family was there or he specifically asked for something.
“But the bottom line is things will happen and when they happen, the requisite action will be taken,” he emphasised.
In Cudjoe’s case, Rowley said he could have also incurred a huge phone bill during his Ghana trip if the Parliament’s clerk hadn’t informed him of data issues with cell phones and the need to turn the data roaming aspect off. He said it was required education for government personnel handling phones.
He said he was sure Cudjoe wasn’t the only one in the situation and one might find a “whole lot more” in the system As a result, he said he intends to ask an experienced public servant to come up with a phone management protocol.
Rowley also assured Government was attempting to ensure waste, mismanagement and corruption was outlawed. He noted some Works Ministry tenders have come in at 15 per cent lower than estimates.
He also dismissed criticism of the Smith and Cudjoe issues by former prime ministers Basdeo Panday and Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
“I find it quite preposterous,” he said, noting the Piarco Aiport matter in Panday’s tenure and issues which dogged Persad-Bissessar’s administration.
“... And you tell me a phone bill of $59,000 which is largely accidental and a handful of people in Tobago who had too much taxpayers’ food or comfort at the Magdalena equates to corruption in T&T as we had been experiencing? I beg to differ...gimme a break.” (See editorial on Page A18)
Noting that expenditure numbers on electives have declined significantly, Rowley said he wouldn’t accept from his predecessors that what “went on” in their tenure is happening now.
“So let’s keep the conversation real ...”