Warner offers Chaguanas $309,000 to keep workers on payroll

Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner on Monday handed a cheque for $309,000 to the borough of Chaguanas to ensure that 54 temporary contract workers recently laid off would have work until the end of September.

In a letter to Mayor Natasha Navas Warner said it was in response to a request from Navas to help her find a solution to the problem of the retrenchment of the workers.

"I am pleased to advise that I have been able to source a grant of $309,000, which will assist in paying the workers to continue with their work for a period of not less than three (3) months effective from today's date," the letter stated.

It continued, "As advised by the Chief Executive Officer, Mr William Mark, the sum of $309,000 is what will be needed to ensure that the said workers are gainfully employed." The letter is dated August 10, 2009 and copied to CEO Mark.

Shortly after taking office Navas had announced that due to a revenue shortfall of just over $300,000 she had no choice but to immediately end the contracts. Some of the workers met last Thursday with opposition leader Basdeo Panday and asked for his help.

Panday responded by promising to appeal to the government to release the funds to keep the people employed, a promise which he kept. Warner was away at the time on FIFA business in Nigeria.

Reporters wanted to know where the money was coming from but the MP declined comment on that. Instead he told them, "It is not important where it came from; it is more important where the money is going."

Warner said he had to help out because he cannot see families go hungry and parents unable to buy books to send their children to school.

It's not the first time he had done this.

Earlier in the year, he assisted pensioners who did not receive part of their monthly cheques from the government and recently he awarded nine scholarships for children in his constituency to attend university.

Warner won immediate praise from the small contractors who had complained that they had suddenly lost their only means of earning a livelihood.

However, it remains unclear if Warner is using his personal funds for this and whether this is acceptable in the case of a government body.

In other instances where he offered financial help it was a matter between himself and the individuals. In this case it could create complications since he is dealing with a corporation that is accountable to the state.

The questions that remain unanswered are whether the "grant" is from private sources and whether such assistance is permissable under government regulations.

Recently when Warner offered the government the necessary funds to refurbish the dilapidated Chaguanas police station, the government told him that it didn't want his money, adding that it is quite capable of taking care of its business.