Govt runs up $1.4B CEPEP and URP bill

The monies spent on each programme were revealed in the Senate yesterday, based on questions from Opposition Senator Sadiq Baksh. Baksh had asked for the monthly expenditure of the URP from January 2002 to September this year, as well as the monthly expenditure of CEPEP from its inception to September this year.

In the first instance, Local Government Minister Rennie Dumas revealed that $828 million had been spent on the URP for the period requested. The monthly expenditure of the programme showed a significant increase in funds — from $410,088 to $70 million in September this year. In 2002 the lowest monthly expenditure was $410,088, spent in November, with the highest sum being spent in August — $19.4 million. In 2003, $21,365 was spent in November while $22.7 million was spent in September. In 2004, $11.4 million was spent in January and $39.7 million in December. In September this year, $70 million was spent. Among the reasons Dumas gave for the fluctuations in the monthly expenditure were the fact that there were five weeks instead of four in some months, and that efforts were made to settle accounts in September at the close of the financial year.

In the case of CEPEP, Environmental Minister Pennelope Beckles said more than $600 million had been spent on the programme from its inception in September 2002 to September this year. The least monthly expenditure for the programme was November 2003 — $10,876, with the highest expenditure estimated to be $36.8 million in September this year. Beckles said the latter was due to the settlement of outstanding contractor fees.