State Board members must declare assets; no shortage of people to serve: PM

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar does not plan to amend Trinidad and Tobago's Integrity in Public Life Act to exempt State board members from declaring their assets.

The President of the Energy Chamber suggested Monday that now is a good time to make the change, saying the present rules are "onerous".

Charles Percy said the Chamber felt "compelled to signal to you the need for your Government to do something meaningful about improving the onerous requirements to persons desirous of serving on State boards.”

However the Prime Minister disagreed. "I am not of the view at this time that Trinidad and Tobago should go along that route," Persad-Bissessar said, adding, “If there is no declaration of the assets then that is a further loophole for corruption."

She said the last Udecott board was a “prime example” that demonstrated that even with the current provisions of the Act in place, corruption and mismanagement occurred.

“I am not saying that people will be corrupt but there must be mechanisms in place to avoid (corruption) as far as we can,” she said. 

She promised to discuss the issue with the Cabinet. However she noted that "we were very much against it in the last Parliament and at this time I remain against it because we must have transparency and accountability.”

Persad-Bissessar also disagreed with the view that there is a shortage of expertise for persons to serve on State 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."