CEPEP changes coming; 3,000 new jobs created in 5 months: Moonilal

Roodal Moonilal told the House of Representatives Friday the People's partnership government intends to review to CEPEP program to ensure transparency, fairness and equity.

Since taking office on May 24 this year the new government has created 3,000 new CEPEP jobs and has not fired anyone connected with the program, which was heavily dominated by supporters of the former government.

The Housing Minister, who has responsibility for the program, said the aim of the review is to ensure coverage throughout the country so all communities will benefit from the program.

Moonilal said, “not a single contractor had been discontinued, fired or removed,” noting that the government has expanded the programme.

The minister said the interim contractors involved in cleaning, maintaining water courses and removing debris from floods were recruited from an existing database containing “hundreds of companies” that applied over the years.

He said the recruitment of the contractors based on recommendations from community-based organisations and elected MPs “of the people.” Moonilal noted that some of the contractors who are publicly associated with the PNM are still on the program.