Govt’s $27B headache

ACKNOWLEDGING that State utility Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) continues to be a $27 billion-dollar headache, Prime Minister Patrick Manning yesterday announced that a new administrative structure will be coming to transform cash-strapped WASA into a viable entity.

And with the continued problems plaguing beleagured BWIA, Manning revealed that Government will take action this week to deal with the troubled national airline.

The Prime Minister made these announcements at a breakfast meeting at Paria Suites in La Romaine yesterday.

He said water distribution was a big problem facing his government. He said the Standing Committee on Energy has been prompted to draft a plan on management issues facing the utility.

“The standing committee has been spending a lot of time on an administrative structure. We have now agreed on a structure.

“We have to set up a special company to do a development programme for WASA. This State entity cannot do it itself at all. WASA has a new board in place and it is under the ambit of the new board that a lot of things are being done now,” Manning said.

With speculation of an early budget presentation rife among the business community, Manning said the 2006/2007 budget would be presented within the next few weeks. The budget will contain “new objectives,” he said, to deal with the growth of the non-oil sector.

Also attending the breakfast meeting were sixth-form students of several secondary schools in the south including Naparima Girls’ High School, St Joseph’s Convent, San Fernando and ASJA Girls’ High School.