No criminals, no contractors in "Orange" program: Moonilal

Roodal Moonilal told reporters Friday the people employed in the Colour Me Orange Programme are citisens trying to earn an honest living, not members f criminal gangs.

The Housing Minister made the comment during a tour of "Orange" work sites in East Port of Spain. The project is sponsored by the Housing Development Corporation (HDC).

Moonilal explained that the program is what he called a "repackaging" of the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) with some changes that include the collaboration with community activists.

When Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced the program last week she was emphatic that it would not include "Community Leaders", a reference to gang leaders her predecessor appeased with lucrative government contracts.

Moonilal siad, "These are not people who are unknown us. These are not people who are known to the police. They are known to the media and known to the State Agencies.

"So these are the type of people we want to encourage in this Programme. Not people who are engaged in this because they want to be a contractor. In HDC Colour Me Orange, there is no contractor.

"The HDC recruits the workers and pays directly. Nobody is collecting the NIS. Nobody is collecting the tax. Nobody is hoarding any money," he explained.

Some of the people who are working in the "orange" project were arrested under the State of emergency and later freed.

Moonilal also dismissed the negative comments about the inititative that have come mainly from the opposition People's National Movement (PNM). Former PM Patrick Manning and other PNM members have said the government should have consulted them to prevent clashes at job sites.

"The issue is really in one or two places I understand in South Trinidad. But that is a problem that we are addressing and we are working with it," the minister said.

"In these programmes you will have one or two teething problems which we will address. Generally, people are happy. In fact, the only thing people are asking for generally is for more, for an extension."

Moonilal suggested that government will consider extending the program, which he said is getting positive reviews. He assured workers that they should see their first pay cheques in early December.