Don’t pay for what’s free

Delivering the feature address at the 12th edition of the ministry’s National Clean-Up Campaign at the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation (SGRC), Hosein declared: “There must be no corruption. You must not have to pay for a service that is given to you for free. You must not pay to get you building plan passed.

These are things that are given free by the various corporations.” Hosein said since being appointed a Cabinet minister, last October, and even in his previous capacity as mayor of San Fernando, he had taken a personal decision to lead by example.

“I have to answer for the wrong that I do, so I will not be corrupted and I will tolerate no corruption, none whatsoever. And I keep saying it, anybody found corrupted under me will be dealt with because I cannot see why a man has to charge somebody for something that is free.

“Just talk to somebody nice, just help them. When I was the Mayor of San Fernando, I helped everybody. Everybody who come to see me I used to see them.” Speaking to an audience which included chairmen, mayors, chief executive officers and staff at local government bodies, Hosein also indicated he will take a tough stand on discourteousness, poor service and an unwillingness to act on complaints from citizens.

“This nonsense has to stop,” he declared.

“You know how much letters I get every week from every corporation, telling me about a drain, telling me about a wall, telling me about a road, telling me about various problems. “You know what I decide to do now. I am going to write to each mayor and each chairman and I am going to copy the person who wrote me to let them know that the mayor and chairman is going to take care of your problem in your region, instead of it coming to me, because I have to go back to them.” Hosein said substandard service at local government bodies was “a very serious matter.” “I want to spread it to all the corporations, all mayors, all chairmen, that local government is a service ministry,” he said.

“People come to the corporations, whether is in Sangre Grande, San Fernando, Penal or Point Fortin, they come for service.

They want their building plans, they want services at the cemetery. They want services at the market. They want services picking up garbage. They want services.

“And, I am appealing, and this is a very serious thing in my mind. I want all mayors and all chairmen and CEOs to ensure that the public, who are the taxpayers of this country get proper service when they come to these corporations.

“A phone ringing in a corporation and ringing for an hour and ringing after lunch with nobody answering it. This nonsense has to stop. I give my phone number out to everybody so everybody could call me and talk to me.

There must be no corruption in no corporation,” Hosein added.

Hosein, who has some 40 years experience in local government, said he was very well aware of the things that happen at regional corporations.

He said while there were many good and competent workers in regional and municipal bodies, “there is corruption at all levels.” “I get feedback, people want plans draw. You have to come to the corporation to get the plans draw and if it can’t be drawn by them, they getting trouble to get it passed. This must be a thing of the past.

“I am sending a message to all corporations sand I want the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago to know that they don’t have to pay for that service of getting a plan drawn. You could draw your plan however you choose to draw your plan and come to the corporation to get it passed. If you have defects, they will correct the defects and make sure that you get assistance.” Hosein gave the assurance that issues relating to corrupt practices and substandard service will be addressed in the Government’s proposed local government reform package.

“The proposal for local government reform is at the Ministry of the Attorney General and from there they will do the legislation and take it to Parliament,” he said.

“The government took a position that we are going to implement local government reform and I am them one who will ensure it happens. The power must be given to the corporations.” Other speakers at the event were Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Rural Development and local Government Desdra Bascombe; Toco/Sangre Grande MP Glenda Jennings-Smith; SGRC Chairman Martin Terry Rondon; Cumuto/Manzanilla MP Christine Newallo-Hosein and coordinator of the National Clean-Up campaign Gerard Ramarack.

The corporation’s theme for yesterday’s exercise was Cleanliness is next to Godliness: Team Up and Clean Up.