Bare treasury means fewer $$ for pensions: Warner

Jack Warner told the House of Representatives if the previous PNM government had not pilfered the treasury there would be more money for pensioners in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Works and Transport minister said if there was a full Treasury the government would have been able to drop the pension age from 65 to 55 and pay a monthly pension of $5,000.

“But, Mr Speaker, I will tell you why we cant’ pay it,” Warner stated as he went into details of what he called wild government spending, singling out the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT).

Warner read from a document regarding the Tamana E-Tech Park with items allegedly signed by former UTT President Ken Julien.

The items in the document included $60 million for structural steel on the UTT main building at the Tamana Park with no proper explanation for the expenditure.

He said UTT spent about $56 million on "public safety mechanisms" for the three-storey building and an additional $40 million was designated "for design coordination and architectural landscaping".

Other expenses included $3.5 million on the redesign of the building’s auditorium and $13.5 million to build it, he stated.

“The bill for that Tamana E-Tech Park has moved from $1.5 billion to $2 billion,” he claimed. He promised to reveal more at a later time.

Before leaving the subject of UTT spending he revealed another scandal.

The UNC chairman accused UTT of paying rent for Juliana Pena, spiritual adviser of former Prime Minister Patrick Manning. He said UTT paid the rent for one year on a property owned by eminent attorney Bruce Procope.

He challenged the PNM to deny it. “Say no! Say no,” he declared. Opposition MPs did not respond.

Warner refuted opposition charges that the government has reneged on its campaign promises on the pension for seniors.

Warner said the new $3,000 a month pension will create greater independence, give seniors a sense of security and hope.

“Senior citizens built the nation and democracy and we must care for them. We cannot rise without our elderly members and will allow all of us to rise together,” he added.