Salary and performance in WASA

THE EDITOR: The recent political uproar involving the salary of WASA’s chief executive officer Errol Grimes is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to salaries of appointed political allies to top jobs in state enterprises.

Mr Grimes will now be paid the princely sum of $36,000 a month plus the obvious perks attached. But will this salary be equated with the level of performance needed to take this failing state enterprise to a level which will be needed if Trinidad and Tobago is to become developed? The Prime Minister has talked about development and indeed has put the year 2020 as its deadline.  Before development there must be sacrifice, but with pay hikes for government and from what was seen recently massive salaries for ‘the boys’ in the state enterprises, I fear 2020 is just another politician’s joke.

WASA needs serious restructuring and it must start from the top, downwards. I’m sure Mr Grimes does not know that in Biche people have no access to water, as a pipeline is non existent. And this is not an isolated area there are many examples all over the country, even in the PNM stronghold of Laventille, where less than a year ago the Cabinet attended a standpipe opening. Another aspect of development is lowering the debt, but last week the Prime Minister announced that the public debt has increased by $2 billion. But this should come as no surprise as the government is due to increase the CEPEP programme and also introduce the URP on a contractual basis. In other words transparency will be at a minimum.

COLLIN  J
PARTAP
London,  England