Former Trinidad and Tobago government minister Ganga Singh is the new acting Chief Executive Officer of the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA). He succeeds Andrew Smith, who was appointed to the post three months ago by the former Manning PNM administration.
Public Utilities Minister Emmanuel George said Wednesday Smith wrote in his resignation letter that he wanted to clear the way for the new administration to appoint a new person to head the water authority.
Singh was Public Utilities Minister in the Panday UNC government and George served as his Permanent Secretary.
George said Wednesday WASA is well behind in its obligation to provide water to most parts of the country.
The minister said only 18 per cent of the population gets a daily supply of water. He hopes to correct that problem within 12 months to ensure that most people have a regular and reliable water supply. He is also hoping that with a year the thousands who depend on getting their water from Stand Pipes will be connected to the main system.
Singh would also have to deal with a critical issue about the award of a million-dollar contract just days before the May 24 general election.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who was opposition leader at the time, gave details of the contract at a news conference in May.
She said in February the Manning Cabinet agreed to approve WASA's Management Action Plan and authorized WASA to seek TT$ 2 billion financing in order to meet the obligations under the short term 18 months of the plan.
She added that at the last cabinet meeting on May 13th 2010, the Manning Cabinet agreed to give Citicorp Merchant Bank the mandate "to arrange and fully underwrite a TT dollar fixed rate 20 year bullet bond in the sum of TT$1.35 billion to be issued by WASA."
She added that the Manning government also gave a mandate to Citicorp Merchant Bank to arrange an interim six month Bridge Facility in the sum of $1 billion.
Read the story: Kamla reveals $M sweetheart WASA deal
No comments:
Post a Comment