Government to decentralise services; ministries, schools moving to Chaguanas

The Government of Trinidad & Tobago is moving the Ministry of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education to a 15-acre site near Divali Nagar in Chaguanas. And it also plans to relocate other state agencies and two educational institutions to central Trinidad.

Communications Minister Dr. Surujrattan Rambachan told journalists about the plans at Thursday's post cabinet news conference.

He said the Open Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) would be located on the 15-acre site that will house the ministry's head office. 

"In addition, the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT), which is in Port of Spain, will be moved to 30 acres of land on the Connector Road also. So that area is going to be developed into several services of the Government," Rambachan said.

Cabinet has reserved just over three acres of land at Connector Road in Chaguanas for the Ministry of Public Administration to construct the Institute of Public Management and Administration, the minister added.

He also confirmed that the Transport and Field Engineering Department at Woodford Lodge in Chaguanas will now house the NESC's Automotive Technology Centre.

"The Ministry of Community Development has also taken the decision to move its head office to Central Trinidad and 10 acres of land have been reserved now on the Connector Road for the Ministry of Community Development," Rambachan said.

"The Ministry of Food Production, Land and Marine Affairs has also reserved 27 acres of land on Factory Road in Chaguanas for the construction of the headquarters of the Ministry of Food Production, Land and Marine Affairs."

Rambachan said decentralisation will develop rural communities and create jobs.

"When you develop rural towns, what you also do is decentralise the population and you also then affect matters of traffic congestion and quality of life of people being able to access their workplaces in a shorter and quicker time. Therefore reducing some of the stresses that lead to health problems also," he said.