Hazel likes beautification team

She made the comment while addressing the first in a series of ‘visioning exercises’, where stakeholders from various municipalities would meet to share views, yesterday at City Hall in San Fernando.

She added that plans are underway to keep the beautification team in place to ensure what was done for the summit, is continued on a regular basis.

“I looked on in awe as nine government agencies worked with the Ministry of Local Government to beautify certain routes for the summit and it was done really very easily without additional funding,” Manning said.

The agencies she referred to include the Ministry of Works, Agriculture, National Security, Social Development, Tourism and Culture, plus URP, CEPEP and the Environmental Management Authority (EMA).

“We came together as a team and we began identifying challenges and working the process so I know we can do it. Our committee meets again next week Friday and we are going to reconvene. We have established a legacy programme to ensure that as beautiful as Trinidad is now, it will be maintained and a structure put in place,” she added. Manning said the committee would approach Cabinet for approval for an “integrated permanent structure to be put in place to ensure work continues to keep Trinidad and Tobago as beautiful always.”

Manning also noted that a list of “vulnerable” flood prone areas has been compiled and her ministry would soon be requesting Cabinet approval to provide funding for various projects aimed at preventing flooding of the scale experienced in recent rainy seasons.