Rambachan declares 'war' on abusers of URP

File: Suruj Rambachan

Suruj Rambachan declared war on Wednesday against people who abused the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) and rob the country of millions of dollars. And the local government minister noted that big changes are coming as early as September.

Rambachan spoke with the Trinidad express newspaper at the end of a Strategic URP workshop at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, in Port of Spain.

The minister noted that police officers, nurses and business owners are bleeding the system by signing up for work, doing nothing and getting paid.

"True, there are policemen who have debit cards, true there are people living in the United States who have debit cards, true there are nurses who have debit cards," he told the paper. "We have to weed these people out because they engaging in fraudulent activities by pretending to be workers in the URP and are bleeding the system," he added.

He said between January and July 164 construction gangs "got paid to do nothing".

Rambachan also spoke of other problems. "We have to deal with the several dozens of gangs who are rostered to work but are no where on the job" adding that he would "work courageously to reform the URP programme."

The minister said the country should get value for its money, noting that citizens would be happier if they saw houses being built for the poor and money being invested in helping people as opposed to fattening the pockets of others.

Rambachan said he has a new vision for the URP programme. Some of the new projects include 150 community new projects. He said his aim is to move people from earning $69 to $100 a day to $150 to $200 a day by turning them into contractors and showing them how to make and share profits.

Rambachan assured that the money that the government invests in the URP programme would be put to more efficient use and will break the culture of dependency.