PM Manning becomes a water dodger

Prime Minister Patrick Manning yesterday described himself “dodging water” from a leaking roof at his Whitehall office whenever it rains. The problem exists he said, after $34 million of taxpayers money was spent on the refurbishment of the building, he noted yesterday, as he commented on the fact that the new wing of the  Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court had to be shut down because of a plumbing problem. There was controversy last year when the idea of relocating the Parliament and having the PM’s office at Red House was floated by the Prime Minister. Speaking at a news conference at Whitehall, Manning did not directly revive the idea, but  stated: “The Prime Minister has to move his desk and he has to collect water in dustbins. The conference table in the Prime Minister’s conference room has been badly damaged so we have to put felt on the table. The rug in the Prime Minister’s office has been damaged by water.”

Asked whether he was contemplating leaving Whitehall, Manning, who had conceded that he has always felt that Whitehall was inadequate, and who has expressed a preference for the PM’s office to be located at the Red House, said Government would have to look at what is involved in repairing the building. “What we are reluctant to do is to embark on any major expenditure in Whitehall again,” he stated. On the World Cricket Series, Manning said Cabinet yesterday considered a report of the team (headed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sports) which went to St Lucia.  Stating that while Government was yet to determine which of the games Trinidad and Tobago would submit a bid for, Manning said he told Chairman of Caricom, Jamaica’s PM PJ Patterson, the undertaking was so large and costly that the Caribbean states should collaborate “rather than compete.” Manning said he suggested to Patterson that the World Cricket Series be put on the agenda of the November meeting of Caricom States. “It is very big and the expenditure is large,” he reiterated. He said the Government had asked the company, World Series Cricket, to come to Trinidad and Tobago and make a presentation to Cabinet so that it can have a proper perspective on the issue. Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Christine Sahadeo announced Govern-ment had mandated State enterprises “with immediate effect” to publish a summary of their audited financial statements in at least one of the daily newspapers within four months of the end of the financial year. They must also publish a summary of their half-yearly unaudited financial statement in the middle of the year, Sahadeo added. This is aimed at improved governance in this sector, she said. Currently, State enterprises can have their audits done by any chartered accountant.