DPP’s office to get ‘new’ photocopiers

Chairman of the JSC, Fitzgerald Hinds at Friday’s meeting to look at staffing issues that affected the DPP’s office questioned why it was that only two of eight photocopiers were working and professional staff had to spend much time copying files.

The JSC, he said, wrote the Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs on the issue. The Port-of-Spain office usually works with six photocopiers while the San Fernando office, two.

To correct the situation, PS Ingrid Seerattan said the ministry has been working assiduously to deal with the issue and has repaired two photocopiers and four are now in working condition.

“We have sourced from one of the providers four new machines to supplement the others. As of Tuesday (tomorrow) the Office of the DPP should have four new machines,” she said.

DPP Roger Gaspard said he was happy to hear that “we would be having four additional, and perhaps, new machines.” Seerattan said she could understand why Gaspard said “perhaps.” Following the missive from the JSC, she said, the ministry decided to reevaluate all of its machines.

“We have recognised that a number of machines have aged,” she said.

Meanwhile, JSC member Paul Richards said that if he was a member of the public listening to the hearing, he would be flabbergasted to hear the JSC spending time on basic office maintenance and procedures.

“It is unfortunate that it takes this sort of forum to get elucidation to get the job done,” he said.