PM to announce state boards Thursday

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is expected to end four months of anxiety Thursday and announce the names of persons who will serve on at least 25 state boards.

She promised on Monday that she would name the boards this week.

Persad-Bissessar reiterated that the delay in appointing boards has been the need for ensuring that members who serve are the most suitable for the positions. She added that persons who serve must be committed to transparency and accountability.

She also made it clear to that she does not plan to amend Trinidad and Tobago's Integrity in Public Life Act to exempt State board members from declaring their assets.

“If there is no declaration of the assets then that is a further loophole for corruption," she said noting that the last UDeCOTT board was a “prime example” of how corruption and mismanagement could happen even with the Integrity legislation in place.

She added that when she and her members of her party were in opposition they opposed changes to relax the integrity laws. "At this time I remain against it because we must have transparency and accountability”, she said.

Persad-Bissessar also disagreed with the view that people would be reluctant to take appointments to state boards because of the integrity rules. she said there is a shortage of expertise for persons to serve on boards.

“I do not think that there is a dearth or a problem in terms of getting people to come on board...Of course some may not come on board but then that is their choice."

Since the Prime Minister's announcement there has been all kinds of speculation and guessing about who would be on the boards. Some reports have suggested that former cabinet ministers in the Panday UNC administration would be key positions in the main boards.

The government has not confirmed anything.