PNM signed contracts for $276M in rent while gov't buildings remain empty

Jack Warner told supporters in Couva Saturday night friends of the People's National Movement (PNM) are collecting tens of millions of dollars in rent from the government while people can't get basic necessities.

The Works Minister and chairman of the United National Congress was speaking at a meeting of the People's Alliance.

The acting Prime Minister said just eight families are collecting $276 million in rent while government buildings in Port of Spain, built at a cost of billions of dollars, remain empty.

He named John Rahael, a former health minister in a previous Manning government, as one of the persons getting hefty rent.

He said PNM leader Keith Rowley cannot hide behind the excuse that it all happened in Manning's watch because Rahael is now running the PNM campaign for the Local Government Election (LGE).

Warner said that kind of reckless spending has resulted in absolute neglect of rural communities.

He said in one instance one family is collecting more than $900,000 a month in rent for an incomplete building.

Warner expressed disgust at the patronage and said the new government would not renew any of contracts that have expired and would explore legal options to terminate the others.

The works minister also spoke about the abuse of funds in other areas. he angrily denounced the former Manning regime for spending close to one billion for a stadium at Taruba that is not yet finished. That money, he said, could have provided services for people across the country.

Warner made the same point about the two international summits in Port of Spain in 2009 that cost the Trinidad and Tobago taxpayer more than $1 billion.

He pledged that such waste would never happen under the People's Partnership government.