Wednesday, July 10, 2013

EMBD's sloppy work prior to 2010 holding up distribution of lots to former sugar workers

The present government inherited a $4 billion debt from the Estate Management and Business Development Company (EMBD), which spent more than $2 billion on PVC pipes for proposed housing lots for former Caroni workers in central Trinidad. 

The disclosure came from Food Production Minister Devant Maharaj who said the agricultural or residential estates did not have proper or approved infrastructure.

He explained that the government found "PVC pipes sticking out of the ground and pretending to be leading to a sewerage and waste water facility underground," when no such infrastructure was present. In addition he said roads and drains were inadequate. In some instances the roads were too narrow for two cars to pass at the same time, he said.

The minister also pointed out that EMBD built underground corridors with water and electrical lines in the same corridor. 

The PP Government is now trying to fix all these problems before distributing agricultural and residential leases, which the minister said would begin soon. He expects that the government would distribute 6,000 residential and agricultural leases by the end of the year.

With respect to the $4 billion debt, Maharaj said in the months before 2010 general election the EMBD haded out contracts valued at more than $200 million without proper tendering. He said the new government was unable to find proper documentation for the expenditure.

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Jai & Sero

Jai & Sero

Our family at home in Toronto 2008

Our family at home in Toronto 2008
Amit, Heather, Fuzz, Aj, Jiv, Shiva, Rampa, Sero, Jai