# 6th Meeting - JSC LASCSA - June 24, 2026 - Road Repairs and Maintenance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4KJ-JfIr1w

[00:16] Good afternoon and welcome to the sixth
[00:19] meeting of the joint select committee on
[00:22] local authorities, service commissions
[00:25] and statutory authorities including the
[00:28] Tobago House of Assembly.
[00:30] of the 13th Parliament. This is the
[00:32] committee's second public hearing with
[00:35] stakeholders pursuant to its inquiry
[00:38] into the performance of MU municipal
[00:40] corporations with a focus on road
[00:43] repairs and maintenance. Members of the
[00:46] listening and viewing audience are
[00:49] invited to post or send their comments
[00:52] via the parliament's various social
[00:54] media platforms, Facebook page, PAL view
[00:58] the parliament's YouTube channel and
[01:01] Twitter. You can also follow us on
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[01:07] committees for real time updates and
[01:10] highlights from committee meetings.
[01:14] I will now invite our officials to
[01:18] introduce their representatives starting
[01:20] with the Ministry of Works and
[01:23] Infrastructure.
[01:28] >> Good afternoon. Ian Rabman, permanent
[01:30] secretary, Ministry of Works and
[01:37] >> Good afternoon. Anon Bur, Deputy
[01:39] Proander, Pure Mini Works and
[01:41] Infrastructure.
[01:46] Okay, we proceed with the Ministry of
[01:48] Rural Developments and Local Government.
[01:52] Good afternoon, Madame Chair, members of
[01:55] the Joint Select Committee. My name is
[01:56] Mu Balup. I'm the acting technical
[01:59] officer at the Ministry of Rural
[02:00] Development and Local Government. And
[02:03] accompanying me today is Mr. Ronaldo
[02:04] Padilla, engineering and survey officer.
[02:08] >> Thank you. And now we proceed to the
[02:11] various corporations starting with the
[02:13] ARMA Boro Corporation.
[02:17] >> Good afternoon all. I am Sean Daffur.
[02:20] I'm the engineer at Arma Boro
[02:21] Corporation. Accompanying me is Mr. Elon
[02:25] Edwards. He's EW the work supervisor too
[02:29] at this corporation as well.
[02:34] >> Thank you. Shaguanas Borrow Corporation.
[02:39] Um, good afternoon madame chair. U, my
[02:42] name is Michael Mohan. I'm the
[02:43] engineering and surveying officer at the
[02:45] Shagonas B corporation. Accompanying me
[02:48] is councelor Richard Sukdeo.
[02:51] >> Thank you. Next we have the Martin
[02:54] Borrow Corporation.
[02:56] >> Madame chair, honorable members of the
[02:58] joint joint select committee. Good. Good
[03:01] afternoon. I am Akil Solomon, the
[03:04] engineer and surveying officer at the
[03:05] DGO Martin Boro Corporation.
[03:08] >> Thank you, Mr. Solomon. Next, we have
[03:11] the Penal Deb Regional Corporation.
[03:17] >> Good day, chair. Um, and committee
[03:19] members. Um,
[03:22] I represent the Penal D Regional
[03:24] Corporation. together with me. Um,
[03:27] together with me would be the vice
[03:28] chairman, Miss Shanti Budram, our road
[03:32] officer, Miss Jillian, and myself, the
[03:36] county superintendent, an Ann.
[03:39] >> Thank you, Mr. Jag Muhan. Next, we have
[03:42] the Separia Burough Corporation.
[03:48] >> Good afternoon, Madame Chair and member
[03:51] of the committee. My name is Andy Allen.
[03:53] I'm the engineering and survey officer
[03:55] of the Separ Corporation. Um
[03:58] accompanying me is the is worship the
[04:01] mayor Mr. um Donard Meu of the SPA
[04:06] Corporation. Thank you.
[04:08] >> Thank you Mr. Alen. And lastly we have
[04:11] of the San Fernando City Corporation.
[04:16] >> Good afternoon everyone. Um, chairman,
[04:20] joint select committee. Um, my name is
[04:23] Nikkish Graham. I am the city engineer
[04:28] Accompanying me is my acting engineering
[04:31] assistant three, Mr. Ray Saunders.
[04:36] Thank you, Miss Graham. I just have one
[04:40] question. Is do we have a Mr. Wesley
[04:44] Gadget from the Ministry of Works and
[04:45] Infrastructure here today? Pleas and
[04:48] good afternoon chair Wesley Gaja legal
[04:50] officer.
[04:52] >> Okay. Thank you for confirming.
[04:58] All right. So I am Candace Jones
[05:01] Simmons, independent senator and chair
[05:04] of this committee. And with me today are
[05:07] the members of this committee. And I
[05:09] will invite them now to introduce
[05:12] themselves. Starting with madame vice
[05:14] chair
[05:16] >> Michelle Benjamin MPA minister vice
[05:19] chair.
[05:22] >> Good afternoon everyone. Vanana Muit,
[05:25] member of this committee.
[05:30] >> Good afternoon everyone. I'm Karim
[05:31] Marcel, member of parliament, member of
[05:37] Uh good afternoon Prakash Prasad, a
[05:39] member
[05:43] Good afternoon. Natalie Triton Mirage
[05:45] member.
[05:48] >> Thank you members. This committee is aly
[05:51] supported by Mr. Julian Ogulvie, the
[05:54] secretary of the committee and assistant
[05:57] secretaries Mr. Brian Lucio and Miss
[06:00] Kesha Petikin. And we are also supported
[06:03] by the parliamentary research
[06:05] specialist. Now, as I would have said
[06:08] before, this is our second public
[06:10] hearing and at the first public hearing,
[06:12] we did invite seven other corporations
[06:16] to share their perspectives
[06:18] and I will for the benefit of the
[06:21] viewing and listening public outline the
[06:23] objectives of the committee's inquiry
[06:26] and they are to examine the role of
[06:30] municipal corporations in facilitating
[06:33] road repairs and maintenance.
[06:36] Two, to assess the effectiveness of
[06:38] municipal corporations over the last
[06:41] three years in implementing their
[06:43] mandate in relation to road repairs and
[06:46] maintenance. And three, to examine the
[06:50] implications of the proposed local
[06:53] government reform initiatives on the
[06:55] role and function of the municipal
[06:58] corporations with regard to road repairs
[07:00] and maintenance. I will now invite the
[07:04] following persons to make brief opening
[07:07] remarks and we'd ask you to keep those
[07:09] opening remarks to one minute each and
[07:12] we will start with Mr. Ian Ramden
[07:15] permanent secretary of the ministry of
[07:17] works and infrastructure.
[07:22] Good afternoon, Madam Chair, honorable
[07:24] members of committee, colleagues from
[07:26] the ministries and regional
[07:27] corporations. Um, ministry of works and
[07:29] instructor is tasked with providing and
[07:32] maintaining phys physical infrastructure
[07:35] um to meet the needs of the society and
[07:37] economic development of Tron Tobago. We
[07:39] are responsible for design,
[07:40] construction, maintenance and upgrading
[07:42] of roads, highways, bridges and drain
[07:44] infrastructure as well as coastal
[07:46] protection and marine services. Um the
[07:50] ministry um under our remit we manage
[07:53] approximately 2,000 um kilometers of
[07:57] road network uh which is 21% and these
[08:00] are um the major roads you know the
[08:02] secondary roads and the special roads.
[08:04] Um we also have um in these systems we
[08:08] have around 1,200 bridges and 2500
[08:11] culverts that we also have under remitt.
[08:14] Um we are here to work with the regional
[08:18] corporations because we are getting a
[08:19] lot of requests from them. They are
[08:21] resource constraint and we are actually
[08:24] sharing our resources with them in terms
[08:26] of helping them meet their um
[08:28] operational expectations. Thank you.
[08:33] >> Thank you Mr. Ramden. I now invite his
[08:36] worship Dudnat Meu mayor of the
[08:39] Superario Burough Corporation. Thank you
[08:41] madame chair members of the joint select
[08:44] committee thank you for inviting the
[08:45] superior borrow corporation as trind and
[08:48] Tobago newest and southmost borrow a
[08:51] status just granted three years ago our
[08:53] corporation is the gateway for tourist
[08:56] destination such as the pitch lake
[08:58] farming and fishing communities with a
[09:00] 100 kilometer coastline we understand
[09:03] our clear mandate to maintain local
[09:05] roads residential traces and village
[09:08] access roads we face a unique
[09:10] infrastructure crisis where our borrow
[09:12] is still catching up with its new
[09:14] responsibilities.
[09:16] We urgently need targeted support for
[09:19] our local road network to fulfill our
[09:22] mandate to residents. We look forward to
[09:24] your support in solving this crisis.
[09:26] Thank you.
[09:28] >> Thank you, Mayor. And next we have
[09:30] councelor Richard Sukdeo, councelor for
[09:33] Kupia Shaguanas Burough Corporation.
[09:37] Thank you uh Madame Chair, members of
[09:41] the committee, colleagues around this
[09:43] table.
[09:46] Good afternoon. The Shagoras Bough
[09:48] Corporation appreciates the opportunity
[09:50] to participate in this important
[09:52] examination
[09:54] of the performance of municipal
[09:55] corporation with focus on road repairs
[09:57] and maintenance.
[10:00] We are therefore optimistic that this
[10:02] process will yield meaningful
[10:04] recommendations to improve service
[10:06] delivery.
[10:07] Although Shagona's borrow corporation
[10:10] covers just 59 square kilometers,
[10:13] there is approximately,00
[10:16] roads under our management. It is one of
[10:19] the most densely populated
[10:21] municipalities in Trinidad and Tobago
[10:23] serving approximately 100,000 burgesses.
[10:28] Having obtained Boris status in 1990,
[10:32] Shagonas has grown into one of the
[10:33] country fastest growing urban centers
[10:36] with expanding
[10:38] residential and commercial development.
[10:41] Our goal at the Shagonas B Corporation
[10:43] is to achieve city status.
[10:46] Consequently, maintaining our road
[10:48] network remains a critical priority,
[10:50] second only to garbage collection
[10:52] services.
[10:54] While we do not face the challenges such
[10:56] as hilly terrain or landslides,
[10:59] recurring flooding contributes to road
[11:01] deterioration.
[11:02] And to assist in these roads
[11:04] maintenance, drainage is an integral
[11:07] infrastructure which demands additional
[11:10] financial resources. Despite aging
[11:13] equipment and limited human and
[11:14] financial resources, the Shaguas Borough
[11:17] Corporation continues to carry out
[11:20] essential road repairs and maintenance.
[11:23] Additional resources however would
[11:25] greatly enhance our ability to improve
[11:27] the scope of roads maintenance and
[11:30] repairs thereby creating better
[11:32] communities. Thank you.
[11:34] >> Thank you councelor Sukdeo. Next we have
[11:38] Mr. Mu Balup acting technical officer at
[11:42] the Ministry of Rural Development and
[11:44] Local Government.
[11:48] Uh good afternoon again madam chair,
[11:50] honorable members of the committee and
[11:52] distinguished attendees. Um I wish to
[11:56] thank the committee for the opportunity
[11:57] to once again appear before you today.
[12:00] The ministry remains committed to
[12:02] transparency, accountability and
[12:05] effective delivery of programs and
[12:07] projects under its purview. We welcome
[12:10] the opportunity to provide updates,
[12:13] clarify matters raised by the committee,
[12:16] and contribute constructively to today's
[12:19] proceedings. We look forward to engaging
[12:21] with the committee and addressing any
[12:23] questions that may arise. Thank you.
[12:26] >> Thank you, Mr. Balup. And now I invite
[12:29] Mr. Elon Edwards, work supervisor to at
[12:32] the Aroma Borrow Corporation.
[12:39] Good afternoon everyone.
[12:42] I'm here from Aimab Corporation. I would
[12:45] like to say that um ARMA is
[12:49] very densely populated also and we are
[12:52] here
[12:54] just to represent the fact that we have
[12:56] been lazing with Ministry of Works for
[12:58] some time to alleviate some of the
[13:00] issues we would have had with the road
[13:04] maintenance. Um we have a lot of work
[13:08] that we do for development also to
[13:10] alleviate that and we also try a lot
[13:14] through our um patching internally to
[13:18] try and bring that resolve in terms of
[13:20] the the road issues that we would have.
[13:23] So we are here and open to you all um
[13:28] to just to give the feedback and uh
[13:30] we're hoping for a very good resolve in
[13:32] terms of our way going forward in terms
[13:34] of equipment and financing and more to
[13:37] do a great work for the borrow of ARMA.
[13:40] Thank you.
[13:42] >> Thank you Mr. Edwards. I now invite Mr.
[13:45] Akil Solomon engineering and survey
[13:48] officer at the Martin Boro
[13:50] Corporation.
[13:52] Madame Chair, honorable members of the
[13:54] joint select committee, good afternoon
[13:56] again. On behalf of the Martin Boro
[13:58] Corporation, thank you for the
[14:00] opportunity to contribute to this
[14:01] inquiry on road repairs and maintenance.
[14:04] The DO Martin Boro Corporation
[14:06] recognizes that road infrastructure is
[14:09] essential to the safety, mobility, and
[14:10] well-being of residents. Despite
[14:13] challenges such as aging infrastructure,
[14:14] adverse weather conditions, and limited
[14:17] resources, every effort is made to
[14:19] deliver road maintenance and repair
[14:22] works effectively, transparently, and in
[14:25] accordance with established priorities
[14:28] through routine maintenance programs,
[14:30] emergency responses, and targeted
[14:32] infrastructure improvement. The DO
[14:34] Martin Boro Corporation remains
[14:36] committed to improving service delivery
[14:38] and addressing the needs of the
[14:40] community throughout the borrow. The
[14:41] Martin Boro Corporation welcomes
[14:43] this opportunity to share its
[14:44] experience, challenges and
[14:46] recommendation and look forward to
[14:48] contributing meaningfully to the
[14:50] proceeding. Thank you.
[14:53] >> Thank you Mr. Solomon. I now invite Mrs.
[14:56] Shanti Budram, vice chairman of the
[14:58] Penal Deb Regional Corporation.
[15:02] >> Good afternoon madam chairperson and
[15:05] members of the joint select committee. I
[15:07] am Shanti Badram, vice chairman of the
[15:09] Penal Davy Regional Corporations
[15:11] Council. Accompanying me today are Mr.
[15:15] Anan Jaguan, work superintendent and
[15:18] Mrs. Jillian Suku Nagisa, road officer
[15:21] 1, both dedicated officers of the Penile
[15:24] Deb Regional Corporation.
[15:27] We proudly serve a population of nearly
[15:30] 90,000 Burgesses across 10 electoral
[15:33] districts, each with unique needs and
[15:36] expectations from road construction and
[15:40] maintenance to environmental services,
[15:43] recreational facilities and public care.
[15:47] Our corporation is entrusted with
[15:49] responsibilities that directly impact
[15:52] the daily lives of citizen. Among these
[15:56] road infrastructure stands out as a
[15:59] cornerstone of development facilitating
[16:03] commerce, education, healthcare access
[16:06] and community connectivity. We believe
[16:09] that constructive assessment is
[16:12] essential to strengthening our systems,
[16:15] addressing gaps and charting a path
[16:18] toward more effective services delivery
[16:21] together through collaboration between
[16:24] local and national stakeholders. We can
[16:27] build resilient communities and advanced
[16:31] the vision of equitable development for
[16:33] all. Thank you.
[16:36] >> Thank you, Mrs. Bram and I now invite
[16:39] Miss Nikishha Graham, city engineer, San
[16:42] Fernando City Corporation.
[16:47] Good afternoon again, chair and
[16:49] committee. Um, distinguished members who
[16:53] have been invited, the San Fernando City
[16:56] Corporation is happy to have the
[16:58] opportunity to
[17:01] participate in this very special, you
[17:04] know, event. We are happy that we can
[17:09] contribute our experience and expertise
[17:13] with other great minds so that we can
[17:16] improve the infrastructural development
[17:18] specific to roads and maybe even more
[17:21] than that not only for San Fernando but
[17:24] for our country nationwide. Um, my heart
[17:29] is always set on contributing to the
[17:32] improvement of our country so that our
[17:36] people can live excellent lives. Thank
[17:39] you.
[17:41] >> Thank you, Miss Graham. At this stage, I
[17:44] wish to remind both committee members
[17:46] and officials to direct all questions
[17:50] through the chair. And when you do so or
[17:54] when you make your contributions, I'm
[17:56] asking you to kindly activate your
[17:58] microphones. And when you finish making
[18:01] your contributions, please turn it off.
[18:04] And now we will proceed with today's
[18:07] inquiry. At this stage, I'd like to
[18:10] invite member Marcel. I don't know if
[18:12] you're ready,
[18:13] >> right? Because I believe you said you'd
[18:15] start us off with a few questions.
[18:17] >> Most certainly, please, Madam Chair.
[18:18] Thank you very kindly, Madam Chair. Good
[18:20] afternoon again
[18:22] members.
[18:25] My first question would be to the
[18:27] through you chair to the permanent
[18:29] secretary of the ministry of works and
[18:31] infrastructure.
[18:33] At the last hearing, the last public
[18:37] hearing in on this matter there and in
[18:41] relation to your submission, you
[18:42] indicated that technical officers of the
[18:45] min of your ministry would usually
[18:46] attend the regional coordinating
[18:48] meetings at the different respective
[18:50] municipal corporations.
[18:52] And specifically at the last hearing,
[18:56] there was um a statement made by the the
[18:59] chairman of the the San La regional
[19:02] corporation that um on the last
[19:08] regional coordinating meeting there was
[19:10] no representative from the ministry of
[19:14] works and infrastructure. So my first
[19:15] question is whether you are aware of the
[19:19] of this occurrence and how of and if and
[19:21] if so how often um does this happen
[19:24] where technical officers simply don't
[19:26] show up at the regional at the regional
[19:29] coordinated meetings.
[19:34] Madame Chair Trey um let me respond. Um
[19:38] I regularly follow up on on these
[19:40] meetings because I delegate the the task
[19:43] downwards to the director of the
[19:44] highway. Um um he would um instruct the
[19:49] district officers to attend. Um the
[19:53] challenge we face at these meetings is
[19:55] that
[19:56] um you know it's it's a is a chairman of
[20:00] a of a regional corporation which
[20:02] carries a political status um talking
[20:06] down and they grading the officers at
[20:09] the meeting um you know blaming us for
[20:12] roads that we don't really manage and
[20:14] the officers keep coming back to us
[20:16] complaining um you know they don't like
[20:18] how they're being treated and respected
[20:20] at these meetings. So um to mix
[20:22] political officers with um the the
[20:26] technocrats in the ministry and um there
[20:28] has to be a better way of of delivering
[20:30] that because what what I told them we
[20:32] probably need to set up a a technical
[20:34] forum where the all the technical people
[20:37] technical engineers from the corporation
[20:39] and the ministry meet and collaborate in
[20:41] terms of how these because the the
[20:43] reality is that demands are being placed
[20:46] on the ministry. Um our budget is only
[20:48] for the highways, the major roads,
[20:51] secondary roads and special roads like
[20:53] the PBR. We are not assigned recurrent
[20:57] um expenditure fixing local government
[20:59] roads. We are taking our resources and
[21:02] we are sharing it with the regional
[21:03] corporation. So one example is that we
[21:06] buy the asphalt um the aggregate we buy
[21:09] the bitumen we we we mix it in the agent
[21:13] plant and we distribute it to the
[21:15] regional corporations. So it's our
[21:17] expenditure being expended there. Um we
[21:20] ask NCO to procure items to us like
[21:22] asphalt to contractors we distribute it
[21:25] to the regional corporations. Um
[21:28] sometimes like recently I got a
[21:30] complaint that officers went carried the
[21:32] asphalt and the corporation did not have
[21:35] any staff to do the paving. So I have to
[21:37] take my resources now and assign our
[21:40] internal resources stretch to pave the
[21:43] roads for the local regional
[21:45] corporations. So it it is a you know
[21:48] it's a relationship management issue. Um
[21:51] but you can't have political persons
[21:54] down well degrading the the technical
[21:56] staff because they didn't really cause a
[21:58] problem. Um but we provide support in
[22:01] term of engineering solutions and see
[22:03] how best we could support.
[22:05] So um P thanks for that response in
[22:09] relation to the the setup of these
[22:13] regional coordinating meetings which
[22:15] would usually be chaired by um the
[22:19] respective mayors or or chairman
[22:22] regarding the different municipal
[22:23] corporations and that committee also
[22:26] being made up of other counselors um for
[22:29] and all the men from the respective
[22:31] districts.
[22:33] Um you also have with in that if I'm not
[22:36] mistaken the the the the
[22:38] CEO of each corporation um sitting
[22:41] sitting on that. Is it your um position
[22:45] that
[22:46] that the existing format of having
[22:50] technical officers report through these
[22:53] regional these regional coordinating
[22:55] commit committee um is becoming it's
[22:59] becoming
[23:02] sort of toxic in the sense that wherever
[23:05] you find political people persons who
[23:08] hold political office questioning
[23:10] technical officers is that it becomes so
[23:13] hostile that that is that is to account
[23:15] for um officers not showing up not
[23:18] showing up to the coordinated meetings
[23:19] or not.
[23:23] Madam chair you um to an extent I I
[23:25] would say um the the the way the
[23:29] relationship is handled at that level um
[23:32] there's is an area for improvement. Um
[23:36] there's the rural development company
[23:39] right there's the ministry of um rural
[23:42] development and local government. Um
[23:44] what I keep telling my my team is that
[23:46] when a request is being made from a
[23:49] regional corporation they should go
[23:50] through the line ministry the line
[23:52] ministry ministry of rural government
[23:54] local development. They collect all the
[23:56] issues on a by that particular
[23:58] corporation and they send it to the
[24:01] officer um they send it to me and I
[24:04] would delegate it down to the director
[24:05] of highways. Right? In that way if there
[24:08] are 50 issues um I would have to see how
[24:11] best I could um allocate resources and
[24:14] and time to to support certain not not I
[24:17] can't really address all because it's
[24:18] all the corporations coming to us at
[24:20] once it's is a bottleneck issue um
[24:23] remember I'm providing support right the
[24:25] line ministry is really the ministry of
[24:27] um rural government and they have a they
[24:30] have a line item vote for for supporting
[24:31] bridges and road roads they have the
[24:33] rural development company um But we
[24:37] doing we doing work on the outside but
[24:38] for us to be getting blamed u um the
[24:41] officers complain that it's not fair for
[24:43] them and they become just disenchanted.
[24:47] All right. All right. Let me ask on the
[24:49] issue of providing providing um you you
[24:53] indicated that the ministry provides um
[24:55] both technical and logistical support to
[24:58] the different municipal corporations um
[25:01] specific to road maintenance and you
[25:03] also indicated earlier that you provide
[25:06] um whether you procure the the asphalt
[25:09] through NITCO or whatever different um
[25:13] procurement agency under your your
[25:15] ministry in order to facilitate same. I
[25:17] want to ask on that question. Um, can
[25:21] you explain what process what is the
[25:23] process by which a corporation can make
[25:25] a request to the ministry of works and
[25:28] infrastructure for assistance in
[25:30] relation to road road patching or paving
[25:33] um under that that same technical and
[25:36] logistical um support. Please,
[25:41] Madam Chair, Trayu, um if I could give
[25:43] an example in 2017,
[25:46] um the rural development company, the
[25:49] Kaal road in, um this fishing pond area,
[25:53] they did a road crossing repair
[25:56] and Ministry of Works also planned the
[25:58] same road crossing repair, right?
[26:01] duplication
[26:02] um uh double expenditure and the same
[26:05] thing one entity doing it and I could
[26:07] have a ghost project falling afterwards
[26:09] right so I keep saying that when these
[26:12] projects um identified there should be a
[26:15] national database for for road planning
[26:17] so we have in the ministry central road
[26:19] planning which colleates all the GS data
[26:21] for for the effects on the roads right
[26:25] all these things need to be submitted to
[26:26] us so we can put it on the system we
[26:28] risk rank it prioritize it and try to
[26:30] see how we support, right? So, but our
[26:32] focus is on the main highways, you know,
[26:33] the secondary roads, we try to maintain
[26:35] those, but um um when when it comes to
[26:38] the the local roads, um it's it it's
[26:42] it's like the pure. Now, the thing about
[26:44] it, the how the ministry is structured,
[26:45] the the highways division looks after
[26:47] the main roads, the highways, the
[26:49] secondary roads, and the special roads.
[26:51] The pure division was set up to support
[26:54] the um municipal corporations with their
[26:57] local roads
[26:59] and and they had a funding mechanism
[27:01] whereby external loans will be taken and
[27:05] they were basically fixing roads in
[27:07] local government areas.
[27:11] in relation to to pure um assisting um
[27:16] assistance specifically
[27:18] um with some of the well the roads that
[27:21] that fall under the municipal cor
[27:23] municipal corporations. Can perhaps um
[27:27] if not UPS um perhaps maybe your deputy
[27:30] program manager of Pure, can can you
[27:33] indicate what process
[27:36] um what is the process for a corporation
[27:40] to request the assistance of the
[27:43] ministry through Pure for example to
[27:46] have roads within their district either
[27:50] repaired by way of paving or by way of
[27:53] simply patching.
[27:56] Madam chair you um the ministry has an
[28:00] IDF vote um it's for pothole patching um
[28:04] sectional rehabilitation we have
[28:06] realized that there's an IDF a pothole
[28:09] to patch
[28:10] potholes is not a tree project so it
[28:13] should not be under IDF to start with
[28:15] right so we we move that we have
[28:17] something new setting up called um uh
[28:21] national
[28:22] um restoration and rehabilitation of a
[28:24] road program. Um the thing about it to
[28:27] fix these roads um I have to go
[28:30] externally to external contractor
[28:31] because it's IDF with the consolidated
[28:34] now where we put in the NP program trip
[28:37] program. It's a combo mix between
[28:39] internal resources
[28:41] um rented equipment and local government
[28:45] working in tandem three entities to to
[28:48] basically repair roads. So um whenever
[28:51] um what I need really is um a database
[28:54] of all the roads that are being uh put
[28:58] this way uh in need of repair. Now what
[29:01] the ministry is also doing we are
[29:04] working with WASA. The reason why local
[29:06] government roads are behaving
[29:11] in these urban rural areas and water
[29:15] lines are passing there right the water
[29:17] lines fail comes in dig it up wait 3
[29:20] months afterwards to see if there's
[29:21] further leak and then come back and
[29:23] patch the roads don't get consolidated
[29:25] properly before they go and patch and
[29:26] that is why when they're patched they
[29:28] don't patch to the satisfaction and
[29:30] control we expect it and you'll find a
[29:33] lot of local roads in a state of
[29:35] disrepair Because of that now we working
[29:37] right now at Wasa because every time
[29:38] they go and they go on to repair we are
[29:40] sending our ministry team through pure
[29:42] and the highways division to supervise
[29:45] the repair. So previously there was no
[29:47] interface and supervision now we doing
[29:48] that. So we ensure that the quality of
[29:50] repair could hold.
[29:52] >> Right. Wait, one last question, Madam
[29:54] Chair, before I pass on to give some
[29:56] other members an opportunity in relation
[29:59] to you gave an indication earlier in
[30:02] your submission that the there were
[30:05] times where the ministry would have
[30:08] provided asphalt or hot mix um to the
[30:11] corporation. They showed up at at at
[30:13] some at a particular corporation's gate
[30:16] and no there, right? um and then you
[30:19] having to to um to spend well to to
[30:21] spend monies essentially and resources
[30:24] internally in order to to making sure
[30:26] that the the material isn't waste. In
[30:28] light of of of that indication,
[30:33] can you and and I would ask perhaps for
[30:37] um for this to be provided um provided
[30:40] perhaps um in writing in order to save
[30:42] time. Can you provide um to this
[30:45] committee a listing um whether by
[30:49] whatever metric by tons or um whatever
[30:53] metric that that that is being used to
[30:54] to measure in terms of how much asphalt
[30:57] or hot mix and so on is um through this
[31:00] arrangement is given to each corporation
[31:03] um perhaps within um the spec the
[31:06] specified period of the last 3 years.
[31:08] Please
[31:10] madam chair t you um actually we have
[31:12] data here uh Mr. Anton could explain how
[31:15] much request is being made in the at the
[31:17] global scale and how much we actually
[31:20] could service now as we move forward.
[31:26] Afternoon m the essence of time
[31:29] currently
[31:30] the
[31:32] we don't have it for a three-year period
[31:34] but for just the this year um what was
[31:39] facilitated to the corporations
[31:43] um we got a request in the tune of
[31:48] 2828
[31:50] tons is request that's not all the
[31:52] corporations that's that's just about
[31:54] seven corporations request Yes. Um we
[31:58] were only able to facilitate
[31:59] approximately 75 tons and that is
[32:02] because
[32:04] as PS indicated the sharing of resources
[32:08] and the amount of um finances that we
[32:11] have to utilize that is the amount that
[32:14] we are able to facilitate at present.
[32:17] Right. So that's you
[32:20] >> you're saying the request is for 2,828
[32:24] tons within the last within the last
[32:26] fiscal
[32:28] and that you you only able to provide 75
[32:32] tons and that is throughout um seven
[32:36] about seven corporate about seven
[32:37] corporations.
[32:37] >> That's correct.
[32:38] >> All right. Thanks very kindly.
[32:42] >> Thank you very much Mr. Balffor and Mr.
[32:44] Ramden. Mr. Ramden just um to ask you
[32:48] referred to the acronym IDF and for the
[32:52] benefit of the listening and viewing
[32:55] public is that the infrastructural
[32:57] development fund and if so you would
[33:00] confirm and just to ask that when you do
[33:02] make references to these acronyms for
[33:05] the benefit of the viewing and listening
[33:07] public that you can expand on those
[33:10] technical terms. Thank you.
[33:15] Madame Chair, um you're correct. That's
[33:16] that's the actual acronym infrastructure
[33:19] development fund.
[33:21] >> Thank you. I believe member Benjamin had
[33:23] a question. Yes,
[33:28] >> thank you chair chair. Um PS just for
[33:31] clarity um with regards to the issue
[33:34] with the officers the technical officers
[33:36] and the relationship or the discourse
[33:39] that took place in the coordinated
[33:40] meeting is it specific to the SA lab
[33:43] until corporation or is it something
[33:45] that happens throughout and if so do you
[33:47] have um an idea or could you give us by
[33:50] name the corporations that you have
[33:52] those issues with and also if you could
[33:55] include in your answer if those
[33:57] instances were documented in writing in
[34:00] by your technical staff and if so did
[34:03] you write back to the respective um
[34:05] corporation to try to mitigate the
[34:08] situation?
[34:10] >> Um madam chair through you um I I follow
[34:13] the protocol um at my level as PS I
[34:15] would write the PS at ministry of local
[34:17] government. So um for example I could
[34:20] give um the St. John bridge that has
[34:22] failed um the ministry is stepping in to
[34:25] fix the bridge. is not our bridge is is
[34:27] um local right um but it's going to cost
[34:32] um a sizable amount of money so we we
[34:35] are expended our money so I basically
[34:36] have to um write the ministry of um
[34:40] local government to confirm you are
[34:41] whether they are expending money for the
[34:43] same project because we don't have
[34:44] double expenditure so I would confirm
[34:46] and seek their their permission to
[34:48] proceed on the project because I cannot
[34:50] take my staff if my staff is outside
[34:52] operating outside jurisdiction and OSHA
[34:54] incident happens um the PS becomes
[34:57] liable because they operate outside.
[34:59] >> Madam Chair, through you for clarity. So
[35:00] I was um alluding to the meetings and
[35:04] the discourse from the political arm
[35:06] that you pointed out and the technical.
[35:09] So to get clarity if it exists
[35:10] throughout different corporations, if
[35:12] you have a number um if you could give
[35:14] us an idea which corporations and if you
[35:17] would have got those complaints in
[35:18] writing and if you try to mitigate the
[35:21] situation in writing as well.
[35:24] Madam Chair, um the complaints would
[35:27] come to me but um u as protocol I would
[35:29] not write the the corporations directly
[35:31] because I would lays with the ministry
[35:33] of local government as the line ministry
[35:36] from line ministry to line ministry.
[35:39] >> Sorry. Um just piggybacking off of the
[35:42] question of member Benjamin I think what
[35:46] and member Benjamin you can tell me if I
[35:48] have captured your query. I think what
[35:51] we're trying to understand is whether
[35:53] these tensions as described by you if
[35:56] they're arising out of a particular
[35:58] personality or personalities or office
[36:00] holders and if you can give us an
[36:03] indication of that with some measure of
[36:05] specificity is this across the board
[36:07] problem or is this a specific
[36:10] individual or corporations problem?
[36:14] Madam Chair, you um this is a a systemic
[36:18] issue across the board with all the
[36:19] corporations. Um
[36:22] the the issue of writing back the um the
[36:26] corporation will make the request. I
[36:28] would send um they will also make
[36:29] requests to the minister or line
[36:31] minister and we would do tours with the
[36:32] line minister to look at the issues and
[36:33] whatever and we would see how best we
[36:36] could support. Right.
[36:37] So yes um madam chair you so I think
[36:39] you're you're missing the um the
[36:41] question you would have in your answer
[36:44] to member uh Marcel with regards to why
[36:49] technical staff um are hesitant in
[36:52] attending the sour allowance
[36:53] coordinating meeting you said in your
[36:56] response that it's due to the discourse
[36:58] or how the political arm would interface
[37:01] with the technical staff so the question
[37:03] I'm asking is is that across the board
[37:05] does it have hostility in all the
[37:07] coordinating meeting. Is it something
[37:09] that was pointed out to you? Um if you
[37:12] could give us specific by corporation
[37:14] and did you as you rightfully said that
[37:16] you could only go PS to PS with regards
[37:18] to your communication. Was it
[37:19] communicated to the PS in local
[37:21] government that your officers are being
[37:23] dealt with in a hostile manner and that
[37:25] they would like to refrain from
[37:27] attending the coordinating meeting? Um
[37:29] that is the remitt of question. Thank
[37:31] you madam chair.
[37:35] >> Proceed Mr. Brandon B.
[37:37] >> Okay. Madam Chair, um
[37:40] yes, we we I I get feedback from all the
[37:43] um the officers who have to attended
[37:45] different district areas and that's the
[37:48] general consensus across the board. Um
[37:50] you know um in terms of the the the
[37:52] score that happens there um but I still
[37:56] encourage them to go and attend and and
[37:58] take the notes and and basically stay
[38:00] neutral and you know report back. um
[38:03] regarding the the reporting of the
[38:06] writing back and um seeing what is
[38:08] happening um is something we we I'm
[38:12] working with Mr. Balfa right now with in
[38:13] terms of um setting up a a reporting
[38:17] structure and framework because it it
[38:18] doesn't have the the procedure and
[38:20] protocol established.
[38:22] So that's that's one area where we want
[38:24] to rectify. Um now I I said procedures
[38:28] and protocol because the ministry has
[38:31] the chief roads engineer chief bridge
[38:34] engineers anything built by the regional
[38:36] corporation they don't send it for us
[38:38] for approval right so technical vetting
[38:41] of of these projects don't happen when
[38:44] things fail then we get coined right so
[38:47] we want to standardize everything by
[38:49] setting up the system where if you're
[38:51] building a road if you're um repair
[38:53] building drains whatever you send it to
[38:54] us for for for vetting and we we give
[38:56] the um a third party opinion on where
[39:00] you can improve or or how we could um
[39:03] proceed with development.
[39:05] >> Before I allow I believe member Mohit
[39:08] had a question. I wish to invite
[39:12] um m his worship mayor meu to share your
[39:17] perspective on the conduct of these
[39:19] meetings. Do you have a perspective on
[39:22] how these meetings have been con
[39:24] conducted at the regional corporation?
[39:25] Thanks,
[39:29] Madame Chair. Thank you for the
[39:31] opportunity. Um, this is the first time
[39:33] I'm hearing of this and I I usually is
[39:36] in all my coordinating committee meeting
[39:39] and I never heard any officer from the
[39:40] Ministry of Works complaining about
[39:42] being treated unfairly or being abused
[39:44] at those meetings. This is news to me.
[39:49] Thank you, Mr. Mayor, for sharing your
[39:51] perspective. I would invite member moit.
[39:57] Thanks, Madame Chair. Um, PS, Ministry
[40:00] of Works. Now, I I get what you're
[40:04] saying. I'm not saying that it's
[40:06] happening across the board.
[40:09] I myself sat as a local government
[40:11] representative
[40:13] and
[40:15] at times you would hear
[40:18] um you know some of the reps from your
[40:22] ministry, Ministry of Works,
[40:25] they would not want to come back to
[40:26] these meetings because not because they
[40:30] are being abused necessarily
[40:33] but because of the fact that they
[40:36] receive requests at these meetings
[40:40] under other public business and when
[40:43] they receive these requests
[40:46] and they come month after month. Now at
[40:49] every meeting counselors will follow up
[40:52] on their requests
[40:55] and when these representatives
[40:58] have no response
[41:00] because they have no material or they
[41:03] ask for the material through the said
[41:05] ministry of works.
[41:08] They are not getting it or its equipment
[41:11] is not available or they don't have any
[41:14] manpower to do the works.
[41:17] the political arm becomes a little bit
[41:20] frustrated and they may ask the question
[41:23] well this is the third or fourth time
[41:24] I'm requesting this and I'm not getting
[41:27] a response I don't see that as abuse but
[41:31] these are some of the things I would
[41:33] have experienced as a local government
[41:35] representative
[41:37] so
[41:39] according to the municipal corporations
[41:41] act the coordinating meeting must happen
[41:45] every month Now
[41:48] if you don't have responses for the
[41:50] political arm obviously the political
[41:51] arm will have questions as to okay well
[41:54] then I have heard it before what is our
[41:56] purpose here
[41:58] in making this these requests if we are
[42:01] not getting anything out of it now I
[42:04] would tell you if you'd permit me madam
[42:06] chair on several occasions I'm hearing
[42:09] the ministry of works for the period in
[42:11] which we are reviewing here today
[42:14] on several occasions
[42:16] On several occasions,
[42:20] the municipal corporations would have
[42:22] had to use their materials
[42:25] to fix Ministry of Works roads because
[42:30] Ministry of Works were not giving the
[42:32] corporations the materials. Now I'm not
[42:35] sure if you were there during that time
[42:37] the period being reviewed. So I would
[42:39] not blame you for it but I'm just
[42:41] expressing that while you are expressing
[42:43] this this is also happening in the in
[42:46] the local government arm as well where
[42:48] where local government municipalities
[42:51] are also fixing ministry of works roads
[42:54] because ministry of works
[42:56] there are several occasions when the
[42:58] trucks will be ready to pick up the
[43:01] materials where you are asking them to
[43:02] pick up and then the plant break down.
[43:06] So it's it's it is a relationship
[43:08] management issue because
[43:13] both arms the ministry of works and
[43:15] ministry of local government would make
[43:17] arrangements
[43:19] on different occasions and sometimes it
[43:21] just will not work out. So I will not
[43:23] say it's the local government um alone
[43:27] both agencies or both ministries
[43:31] whether it be by who has to be um you
[43:34] know in communication with who according
[43:36] to protocol it needs to happen and there
[43:39] needs to be a system put in place to
[43:42] deal with the with the with the um road
[43:45] infrastructure in our country whether it
[43:48] be secondary roads, ministry of works
[43:50] roads, local roads goods, traces,
[43:53] whatever it is where the support is
[43:55] needed. Yes, the system needs to be in
[43:58] place where you both can monitor some
[44:01] MOU or whatever it takes because because
[44:06] you spoke about wasting materials
[44:10] and um you know the the the employees
[44:12] will not be on site. I will say in
[44:15] Chagonas we don't have that issue
[44:17] because we make proper arrangements with
[44:20] ministry of works and mind you we have
[44:22] good support coming from your ministry
[44:24] because we have learned over time.
[44:27] Now when we say wasting materials there
[44:31] are times when materials p the
[44:34] corporations will send trucks to your
[44:37] plants whichever plant you send them to
[44:39] for materials. They'll be there 3:00 in
[44:42] the morning at times 4:00 waiting in a
[44:45] line. They'll get the materials
[44:47] sometimes 112.
[44:50] Now you know municipal corporations
[44:53] they are on the road for a period of
[44:55] time. So what we do in Shagonas is make
[44:59] arrangements.
[45:00] So if we know the truck is still in the
[45:03] line at 10:00, you hold the workers back
[45:06] and you make some form of arrangement
[45:07] for them to wait for the materials or
[45:10] you tell them don't come out 6:00 in the
[45:12] morning to wait there. Come out 11
[45:14] because you're going until for some form
[45:16] of arrangement. So the the relationship
[45:19] needs to be improved between ministry of
[45:21] works and local government because I do
[45:23] not think it's a it's a tit fortat and
[45:26] blame game that should be happening
[45:30] here. It has to be both ministries
[45:32] working in tandem. So I just wanted to
[45:34] bring some clarity in terms of my very
[45:37] own experiences with these two uh
[45:40] ministries, Ministry of Local Government
[45:42] and Ministry of Works because I have had
[45:44] the opportunity
[45:46] to learn the hard way with these two
[45:49] ministries in terms of coordination and
[45:52] collaboration. Lastly, I do not think
[45:55] any officer
[45:57] should stay away from our coordinating
[45:59] meetings because this is going to break
[46:00] down an entire system. what you're
[46:03] explaining to us, it's a good system to
[46:05] build. Yes. PS to PS, but that is very
[46:09] uh bureaucratic. It's going to keep back
[46:12] the entire system. When you can fix
[46:14] something in one day, two days, you're
[46:16] going to have that linger
[46:19] and it's going to take a very long
[46:21] period of time to get these things
[46:23] fixed. Potholes are going to get bigger.
[46:25] Um and you know, things are going to
[46:27] become worse nationwide. So um I just
[46:32] wanted to share my two cents a bit so
[46:34] you understand that yes you have these
[46:38] challenges but local government also
[46:40] have these challenges. So let us have
[46:43] our officers back in meetings
[46:45] communicate it in writing and where the
[46:48] problems exist we should be fixing that
[46:50] so it does not continue to occur and we
[46:52] have that good partnership rolling.
[46:57] >> Thank you.
[46:59] >> Yes. Thank you member Moit. I wish to
[47:01] also invite the members of the Ministry
[47:04] of Local Government to share their
[47:07] perspectives on this issue as well.
[47:14] Madame Chair through you. Um
[47:17] so what I can say is for the current
[47:21] period uh for this fiscal year I can't
[47:24] speak to the to the previous years. Um
[47:27] there is a a relationship um between the
[47:31] ministry of works and uh the ministry of
[47:34] rural development and local government
[47:36] with respect to the requests that comes
[47:40] from the corporations
[47:42] for the mix.
[47:44] So this was put in place by the Ministry
[47:48] of Works where they would have submitted
[47:51] to the ministry a template or format to
[47:56] be submitted to all the municipal
[47:58] corporations which was done and we had
[48:02] to ensure that the corporations would
[48:06] submit a complete um request in terms of
[48:10] um not leaving any gaps or incomplete
[48:13] information because all the information
[48:16] uh within the template is pertinent um
[48:19] to the ministry of works and this was
[48:21] done for this particular fiscal year. I
[48:24] would say the communication is good uh
[48:27] Mr. Balffor and um from the ministry of
[48:30] works and myself we have a very good um
[48:33] wrap on communication and
[48:36] we have been um receiving and we have
[48:39] submitted I I recall Mr. Alvo saying
[48:42] there were seven requests that came in
[48:44] seven municipal corporations and that is
[48:45] a fact. Um some corporations have not
[48:49] for this fiscal submitted their
[48:51] information as yet. So we continue to
[48:54] remind them to submit the information so
[48:56] that we can in in fact um um ministry of
[48:59] works can in fact produce um submit the
[49:02] um information and produce the aspect
[49:04] for them. Yeah.
[49:08] Thank you very much
[49:11] and
[49:13] sorry.
[49:19] Thank you madam chair. Madam chair you
[49:22] um PS
[49:24] you would have heard um my colleague
[49:26] member Moit and not to reiterate how
[49:30] what she said but as a former local
[49:34] government representative I could tell
[49:36] you the corporation that I sat in there
[49:38] was a working relationship and as a
[49:41] former representative is a relationship
[49:44] even as a then counselor you know that
[49:47] you have to foster because you depended
[49:49] on that relationship. ship. So just for
[49:51] clarity and for the sake of this
[49:53] committee if we could get in writing um
[49:57] the corporations that these difficulty
[49:59] exist so that we could try to render
[50:02] some sort of assistance going forward.
[50:04] Um PS through your submissions and even
[50:08] in your written submissions you eluded
[50:11] um with regards to a standard operating
[50:13] procedure um manual. Could you tell me
[50:16] what that manual will entail and which
[50:19] works will be covered under that?
[50:21] Because even in your verbal response
[50:23] here today, you keep um alluding with
[50:26] regards to the standards.
[50:32] Madam chair tu um
[50:35] there's the
[50:37] uh excheck and audit act right that
[50:40] manages the the financial accountability
[50:43] for u financial resources
[50:46] um the reality is even though our our
[50:50] representative will go to meetings right
[50:53] and when they collate all the requests
[50:55] the bottom line is the ministry of works
[50:57] does not have a line item for supporting
[51:01] local government, right?
[51:04] We apply our internal resources that is
[51:07] intended for the highways and we
[51:09] sacrifice the highways. Um we sacrifice
[51:11] sec secondary road to give you all the
[51:14] um the local government the resources.
[51:16] So we don't have a line item for because
[51:18] you're not under us, right? So what we
[51:20] do is we provide support um we provide
[51:23] technical guidance support. So we try to
[51:25] assist them anyway.
[51:26] Um the reason why you would get
[51:27] responses is like when the these
[51:30] entities um these officers go and you
[51:33] have 15 requests that tally up to like
[51:36] $600,000 in expenditure. it the reality
[51:39] is I don't have that funding to say I
[51:41] could make the request through ministry
[51:44] of finance and that's why I'm saying you
[51:46] need to have a procedure where you when
[51:49] you make a request through local
[51:50] government you send it to the online
[51:52] ministry ministry of local government
[51:54] rural development local government so
[51:55] that they can make the representation to
[51:57] ministry of finance to get the
[51:59] allocation for you all right um that's
[52:02] one example of a procedure right so we
[52:06] we also
[52:08] I face the issue of a lot of theft,
[52:10] right?
[52:11] Things go missing, materials go missing,
[52:14] you know, um simple as ministry ordered
[52:18] limestone,
[52:20] we get delivery of limestone, but I
[52:21] asking about where's the delivery notes
[52:23] for the limestone, right? when we
[52:25] distribute the um mill material I ask
[52:29] where where is the material going what's
[52:31] the area to cover you know who's
[52:33] receiving it um the accountability and
[52:35] traceability part right the the the
[52:38] completions report that comes back to
[52:39] say this is the area that's applied um
[52:42] so so you would find our team now going
[52:43] out in the field doing the computation
[52:46] cal calculating how much material is
[52:47] really required coming back and um
[52:50] basically correlating it with your
[52:52] requests right So it's a it's a a it's a
[52:56] reconciliation
[52:57] um accountability process where we have
[53:00] to account for whatever we is providing.
[53:08] >> Okay. Before I allow member moit member
[53:11] professor pad question.
[53:15] >> Thank you madame chair.
[53:18] Um I'm not very familiar I have no
[53:20] experience with local government but the
[53:23] the the discussion has been very
[53:25] enlightening for me but I am an engineer
[53:28] so I want to talk about from the point
[53:30] of a systems you know what what I'm
[53:32] hearing here is seems to have systemic
[53:34] problems
[53:35] that's what it is I mean we could focus
[53:38] on individual ones but if you don't look
[53:39] at the overall design a such picture of
[53:41] it we're going to these problems are
[53:43] going to continue also bearing in mind
[53:46] the fact that you said that you only
[53:48] look at the ministry books 21% of the
[53:50] roads that's a figure you use so local
[53:53] government looks at the majority of the
[53:55] roads in the country and therefore it's
[53:57] an important issue that is must must be
[53:59] addressed um what so I I have endless
[54:03] questions but madam chair I will just
[54:04] ask one or two
[54:07] so you you you said that for instance
[54:10] that let's look at issue of design of
[54:12] bridges and drains and repairs will a
[54:17] function of the design. A poor design
[54:19] would require more repairs. It's not so.
[54:22] So now it can't be too bureaucratic that
[54:25] everybody sends you know all all the
[54:28] corporations send the designs to
[54:29] ministry of works you be swamped.
[54:32] Are you thinking of actually doing
[54:35] training firstly to the officers in the
[54:38] ministry of works and secondly with
[54:41] regard to the contractors and in
[54:43] particular the smaller contractors that
[54:45] will carage repairs
[54:47] are they is there any move to train them
[54:50] also so when they do the repair it will
[54:52] look good I give an example and I'll ask
[54:55] about the later on main road I live in
[55:01] I see you know the private private
[55:02] people get involved and fix the roads
[55:04] the potholes they make an attempt and
[55:06] after two days the pothole gets bigger.
[55:09] So they need to be trained. So I think
[55:11] you know people want to help. So the
[55:14] contractors themselves need to be
[55:15] trained and I think the the local um
[55:18] regional corporations right local but
[55:20] this need to be trained also on how to
[55:23] design etc. It will make your life
[55:25] easier. It will make the country better.
[55:28] Thank you manager.
[55:30] Thank you, Professor Pasad. Uh, member
[55:32] Moit.
[55:35] >> Thank you, Madame Chair. Um, Madame
[55:38] Chair, I just want to look a little bit
[55:39] on the pritoriization of road repair.
[55:43] Um, because I'm listening to what PS
[55:45] Ramadan is saying and uh I want to
[55:48] switch a little bit to local government.
[55:53] How often
[55:55] within the municipalities the different
[55:57] regional corporations
[56:00] the technical officers carry out
[56:02] inspections within the municipality they
[56:05] are responsible for and provide a list
[56:09] to the council or the CEO
[56:12] as to urgent road repairs. So you have a
[56:16] proper list
[56:19] in terms of prioritization.
[56:22] Is that happening across the board at
[56:24] any regional corporation?
[56:36] Madam Chair, if I may ask answer um the
[56:40] ministry um we have um road inspectors,
[56:44] road inspectors. Um my vision for them
[56:46] is to basically scout the the country
[56:48] and identify all the road defects and
[56:51] come up with a GS database so that we
[56:53] could calibrate you know in terms of the
[56:55] investment required. Um the reality is
[56:57] that because of our short staff at the
[56:59] attrition um people leaving the
[57:00] organization I have to use these role
[57:02] inspectors to be work supervisors to
[57:04] supervise. You see we clean the highway.
[57:07] They're actually doing that right now.
[57:08] So um the capacity to drive the country
[57:11] and and analyze the the road systems um
[57:15] for identified effects is is a big
[57:17] shortcoming.
[57:19] >> Madam chair I'm referring.
[57:20] >> Thank you. I understand
[57:23] why I didn't think
[57:27] I expected.
[57:30] >> Yes. I I get this question. I thought I
[57:34] was making a monologue.
[57:36] I would appreciate an answer.
[57:39] >> Okay. Well, before before doing so,
[57:41] would you like to repeat your question,
[57:44] Member Patad, so that they would have
[57:46] the benefit of hearing it again and then
[57:47] they will give the answer and then I
[57:49] will revert to you member Moit because I
[57:51] know that your particular question was
[57:54] really ideally addressed to the Ministry
[57:57] of Rural Development and Local
[57:59] Government. Right. So, I will
[58:01] >> No, I asked
[58:01] >> No, no. I'm speaking about member Moit's
[58:03] question.
[58:04] >> So if you can indulge us with repeating
[58:07] your question.
[58:08] >> All right. I'll try to be less abstract
[58:10] this time.
[58:10] >> Okay.
[58:12] >> Specifically
[58:14] is the ministry of works are you looking
[58:16] at training firstly contractors that do
[58:20] repair works and secondly with regard to
[58:22] the design of bridges and drains etc.
[58:25] the local regions. Are you doing some
[58:27] trade in that regard for the um officers
[58:30] of the regional corporations?
[58:32] Two specific questions.
[58:37] Madam chair, I I'll try to answer part
[58:39] of the question and Mr. Balfur could
[58:40] assist with the rest. Um
[58:44] the ministry um actually works closely
[58:47] with WASA because they are the the main
[58:49] entity that with the contractors that
[58:51] they um you know they engage to do the
[58:55] um rehabilitative works on their
[58:56] pipeline and then repave right and a lot
[58:59] of the problems that local government
[59:00] faces because the works done by these
[59:02] contractors are not to the standard
[59:04] right um so we will have conducted
[59:07] repairs in the past um training right um
[59:10] simulation training and We we brought
[59:12] them in, showed them how to do it. Um
[59:16] but you don't really get the proper um I
[59:20] must put this way throughut you know. Um
[59:23] but Mr. Balfur to to basically clarify
[59:26] in terms of what training would have
[59:27] been provided um in terms of helping the
[59:31] um local government and was improve
[59:34] their road repairs.
[59:38] Good afternoon um madam chair and
[59:42] committee with regards to training for
[59:45] personnel of the regional corporations
[59:48] and local government. The ministry has
[59:52] undertaken training for two corporations
[59:55] with regards to
[59:57] paving or part patching and we also did
[01:00:02] uh training with regards to concrete
[01:00:04] works. Um I believe that will be polar
[01:00:07] corporation. Um
[01:00:10] we have indicated that
[01:00:13] the training facil facilitation is
[01:00:16] available. Um so that is ongoing or can
[01:00:20] be continued. Um so it is something that
[01:00:23] we will and are open to facilitate. With
[01:00:26] regards to contractors being trained um
[01:00:32] is not so much training that we
[01:00:34] undertake. We sensitize and highlight
[01:00:37] prior to the execution our expectations
[01:00:40] to the contractors so that when they do
[01:00:43] execute the works um they are aware as
[01:00:47] to um what we are looking for as well as
[01:00:50] making sure that whatsoever they deliver
[01:00:53] um it meets our specifications. Um but
[01:00:57] to see training of uh contractors, no we
[01:01:00] don't really conduct training for
[01:01:02] contractors.
[01:01:04] >> Mr. Madam,
[01:01:06] >> Madam Chair, can you indulge me for one
[01:01:08] quick second?
[01:01:09] >> I will do so. But just a follow up on
[01:01:11] something he said and then I will
[01:01:12] revert.
[01:01:12] >> I want to follow up on what he said
[01:01:14] also.
[01:01:14] >> No worries. I will I will allow you to
[01:01:16] Mr. Bal for you refer to training that
[01:01:20] has occurred. For all record, can you
[01:01:23] indicate which corporations received the
[01:01:25] benefit of this training?
[01:01:29] >> It would it would have been polishing
[01:01:32] corporation as well as I believe it
[01:01:36] would be a penal debate if I'm not I
[01:01:40] think correct.
[01:01:43] >> Okay. Thank you, Professor Pat me. I
[01:01:47] apologize for my button in um madame
[01:01:51] chair but I thought it's important we
[01:01:53] ask this question if people have
[01:01:55] received training oh they have been
[01:01:58] given the specifications for the repair
[01:02:01] um and I don't think should be confined
[01:02:02] only to repair issa good um is there any
[01:02:07] followup so for instance contractor A
[01:02:11] keeps on doing bad work firstly are the
[01:02:14] repairs looked at And then secondly, is
[01:02:17] there any follow-up action? A particular
[01:02:19] contractor, set of contractors not doing
[01:02:20] good work. Are there is there any sort
[01:02:23] of um
[01:02:26] system in place to ensure that do work
[01:02:28] or prevent them from doing work unless
[01:02:30] they improve themselves?
[01:02:34] Um MH Chu um what I would answer to that
[01:02:39] question is
[01:02:41] prior to the execution of the works we
[01:02:44] sensitize what are the expectations
[01:02:47] in relation to
[01:02:51] during the execution if things are
[01:02:54] shortcomings are observed they it is
[01:02:55] brought to their attention um to be
[01:02:58] addressed prior to the completion of the
[01:03:01] um exercise and at the end of the when
[01:03:05] contractors execute their works they are
[01:03:08] evaluated and sensitized as to all areas
[01:03:11] where their shortcomings are. So this is
[01:03:17] um an ongoing process with the
[01:03:19] contractors who execute works. Um but I
[01:03:24] believe you're alluding to
[01:03:27] eliminating persons who haven't
[01:03:30] shown improvement or
[01:03:33] uh get better over time. Um
[01:03:38] can't really answer to that at present.
[01:03:41] Madam Chair
[01:03:45] um MP Moit with respect to the
[01:03:47] identification of roads by the engineers
[01:03:50] preparing a listing and bringing it to
[01:03:52] the CEO.
[01:03:53] >> The projects that are identified through
[01:03:56] my corporation is done by the councilors
[01:03:59] of the respective electoral district.
[01:04:02] They identify the rules. Now what
[01:04:03] happens is that when you prepare your
[01:04:05] draft estimates you have to submit the
[01:04:08] rules that you need to repair in the
[01:04:10] following year. If there is any change
[01:04:12] in that project you have to apply for a
[01:04:15] change of project which which takes time
[01:04:18] and with the current system we have for
[01:04:21] awarding of contract with the OPR that
[01:04:23] is a no no we'll certainly not meet the
[01:04:26] deadline before the end of the financial
[01:04:28] year.
[01:04:30] >> Sure.
[01:04:31] >> Thank you. Thank you, chair, and thank
[01:04:33] you, mayor. Um, but what you're saying
[01:04:36] may more lean to the DP side
[01:04:38] developmental program, specifically road
[01:04:41] repairs, those recurrent road repairs.
[01:04:44] Now, some of the submissions indicated
[01:04:47] that corporations utilize routine field
[01:04:50] inspections, reports from counselors and
[01:04:53] stakeholders, public complaints, and a
[01:04:56] needsbased prioritization framework
[01:04:58] using technical and community input and
[01:05:01] assessment criteria to determine the
[01:05:03] roads for repair. So what I'm asking is
[01:05:06] how often
[01:05:08] are routine field inspections conducted
[01:05:12] and whether the corporations maintain an
[01:05:14] inventory. So when you get materials or
[01:05:18] you have access to materials whether by
[01:05:20] your own cooperation
[01:05:23] uh utilizing your program of works or
[01:05:25] whether
[01:05:27] through the assistance of the ministry
[01:05:29] of works you can pull from your
[01:05:31] inventory based on a priority listing of
[01:05:34] course ensuring that you assist all your
[01:05:36] counselors etc.
[01:05:40] alterative system
[01:05:41] >> or does anyone have an alternative
[01:05:43] system to that?
[01:05:46] >> Madame chair, I'm sure you um the
[01:05:51] the ministry have been working closely
[01:05:53] with TNT. Actually, TNT has a drone
[01:05:56] technology, drone air technology where
[01:05:58] they they they check their electrical
[01:06:00] system from the air and they actually
[01:06:02] capture all the roads and the potholes,
[01:06:05] right? That database, you know, we can
[01:06:07] access it. um through through TNT it
[01:06:10] will just tell us which roads are very
[01:06:12] bad in ter how many potholes or whatever
[01:06:13] in term of size and location and
[01:06:16] quantify you know assist us quantifying
[01:06:18] how much um materials we need to go in
[01:06:20] and repair whether it it doesn't make
[01:06:21] sense to a road patching or go and do a
[01:06:24] sectional rehabilitation or a full
[01:06:26] repaving of the road right so we have
[01:06:28] we're trying to work smarter rather than
[01:06:29] harder and we're trying to use utilize
[01:06:31] the the most modern technology we have
[01:06:32] which is the drone AI technology um so
[01:06:35] so we could access that database and we
[01:06:37] met with both Wasan and um TNT and we're
[01:06:41] working very closely with them in terms
[01:06:43] of um trying to improve the road
[01:06:44] networks because by us helping local
[01:06:47] government fix their roads it takes the
[01:06:49] stress off of us and we could focus on
[01:06:50] our national highways.
[01:06:52] >> Thanks. Uh
[01:06:53] >> thanks PS. But I wanted to find out from
[01:06:56] Ministry of um local government our
[01:06:59] regional corporations because I would
[01:07:01] tell you that you have technical
[01:07:03] officers within our m municipal
[01:07:06] corporations. You have the technical
[01:07:08] officer from ministry of local
[01:07:09] government here with us today. I would
[01:07:12] like to hear coming from the ministry
[01:07:15] and working with the with the
[01:07:17] municipalities
[01:07:19] what system is being put in place. For
[01:07:21] example,
[01:07:23] I would just refer to
[01:07:27] a road or the cleaning of a of a pond
[01:07:30] and you have technical officers. They
[01:07:32] continuously move to different regional
[01:07:34] corporations and I would call at times
[01:07:37] I've had experiences
[01:07:39] and these officers don't even know a
[01:07:42] pawn exists at the location. Um I'm not
[01:07:46] saying shagonas because I I I'm between
[01:07:49] two corporations.
[01:07:51] So um there are instances of these
[01:07:54] things existing. That's why I'm asking
[01:07:57] whether the cooperation through its
[01:07:59] techn it's stated in the in the in the
[01:08:01] response whether it is really happening
[01:08:05] and whether it is existing at our local
[01:08:07] government bodies
[01:08:11] so that we can improve
[01:08:13] service delivery.
[01:08:15] So it is for local government uh
[01:08:18] ministry to answer us here. I see you
[01:08:20] are answering but I'm really directing
[01:08:22] the question to Ministry of Local
[01:08:23] Government respectfully.
[01:08:29] >> You may proceed Mr. Balup. Are you
[01:08:30] taking the question?
[01:08:32] >> Um yeah madam chair through you. Um I I
[01:08:35] know the question is more so um directed
[01:08:39] to the corporations and and they would
[01:08:41] probably be able to provide a more
[01:08:43] accurate response.
[01:08:45] What I can say is um I know there are
[01:08:49] number of um road officers and other
[01:08:51] technical officers at each corporation
[01:08:54] that are responsible for um the
[01:08:56] different districts. Sometimes they are
[01:08:59] stretched in terms of with the
[01:09:02] deficiency in staff and sometimes have
[01:09:05] more than one district. Um but I am
[01:09:09] aware that their responsibility
[01:09:12] um lies within those districts where
[01:09:14] they are supposed to traverse
[01:09:17] um the those areas that they are
[01:09:18] responsible for investigate complaints
[01:09:21] and thereby they would obviously they
[01:09:23] would pick up um the information that
[01:09:25] you you're speaking of as to whether
[01:09:28] they
[01:09:30] provide the information to the the
[01:09:34] technical head and um pro and collate an
[01:09:38] inventory. I I I cannot say that
[01:09:41] information does not come to the
[01:09:43] ministry. Um
[01:09:46] and perhaps maybe the corporations could
[01:09:48] the those that are here could perhaps
[01:09:50] enlighten us as to if in fact um that is
[01:09:54] the process they use.
[01:09:58] >> Thanks very much Mr. Balup. Mr. Mayor,
[01:10:01] is it that you wish to share your own
[01:10:02] perspective on your process? and I will
[01:10:05] invite at least two others to share.
[01:10:08] >> Thank you madam chair. Madame chair
[01:10:10] based on um a request that came from the
[01:10:12] ministry of works earlier this year in
[01:10:14] January where they ask us to provide a
[01:10:17] number of road for that mobile patching
[01:10:20] my officers went out and they look at
[01:10:23] the entire region some of the most the
[01:10:26] bad roads that really needed those
[01:10:28] repairs. We submitted a listing with
[01:10:31] about 15 or 20 roads. We got hot mix two
[01:10:35] days
[01:10:36] and on the day before we were supposed
[01:10:38] to receive we got a call indicating that
[01:10:40] the project has been stopped. They have
[01:10:42] asked us now to go in measure the width,
[01:10:47] the depth, the size of the pothole, how
[01:10:50] much material is required to fill those
[01:10:52] hole and holes and give them in total
[01:10:56] what is required in terms of tonnage for
[01:11:00] the repairs to those potholes. Those
[01:11:03] documents were submitted to the Ministry
[01:11:05] of Works 3 months now. I've been trying
[01:11:08] to get information. Why haven't we
[01:11:10] received any hot mix? Because we have
[01:11:12] lost the entire dry season now. And
[01:11:16] though that information was submitted
[01:11:19] through our road officers, one who went
[01:11:23] out there, took the time, measured the
[01:11:25] holes, got the depth, and prepared the
[01:11:28] required amount of material they need to
[01:11:30] repair those roads.
[01:11:32] Thank you.
[01:11:34] >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
[01:11:42] >> Member Marcel, sorry, your mic.
[01:11:44] >> Sorry. Sorry. Thank you very kindly,
[01:11:46] Madam Chair. Um, mayor um in relation to
[01:11:50] your statements concerning the requests
[01:11:54] that was submitted um from the ministry
[01:11:57] of works and then your response through
[01:11:59] your road officers after they would have
[01:12:01] went out on the field and conducted
[01:12:02] their work and so on. Do you have an
[01:12:04] estimation of how many tons um of
[01:12:08] asphalt or hot mix that that were and
[01:12:10] just a general estimation of how many um
[01:12:13] was required to fix the major ones? That
[01:12:16] information was submitted to the
[01:12:17] Ministry of Works. I can provide a copy
[01:12:19] of that document to you.
[01:12:20] >> Right. Thank you very kindly.
[01:12:21] >> Thank you.
[01:12:23] >> Thank you. Any other?
[01:12:25] >> Sure.
[01:12:27] >> Madam Chair, um with the Penal Dav
[01:12:30] Regional Corporation, we have a
[01:12:32] collaborative effort with with the
[01:12:35] council and the technocrats, the
[01:12:38] technical officers. We have a good
[01:12:40] working relationship. We have um
[01:12:42] roadways that would be brought forward
[01:12:45] in practically any meeting that that we
[01:12:47] deem it an important um aspect. Um the
[01:12:51] officers may bring things together with
[01:12:54] the officer with with the counselors and
[01:12:56] with to treat with ad hoc requests. We
[01:12:59] don't only rely on the physical
[01:13:01] infrastructure meeting. We we look at
[01:13:03] the other meetings and we try to
[01:13:05] prioritize once the equipments is
[01:13:06] available and the materials are
[01:13:08] available. We try to get the work done
[01:13:10] um with the necessary approvals.
[01:13:14] >> Thank you, Mr. Jag Moan. Yes, Miss
[01:13:18] Graham. Is it?
[01:13:21] >> Um yes, through you, chair. Um at the
[01:13:24] San Fernando City Corporation in
[01:13:26] general, the prioritization is done by
[01:13:29] council. Um my staff would do
[01:13:33] inspections and investigations of routes
[01:13:36] within their designated areas and based
[01:13:40] on certain information that they would
[01:13:42] receive from their inspection they would
[01:13:44] relay the information to the counselors.
[01:13:47] Now we we as the engineering department
[01:13:51] from my stint there which is very short.
[01:13:55] We have not submitted our priority
[01:13:58] listing to council and maybe that is
[01:14:00] something that we can try. Um however
[01:14:03] what we do is that we ensure that we
[01:14:05] inform the counselors of the areas that
[01:14:10] we believe are critical and we also
[01:14:14] encourage them to add them to the
[01:14:16] program of works for the recurrent
[01:14:20] projects that we do which is the mobile
[01:14:22] patching works. We also encourage them
[01:14:25] based on our expertise and the extent of
[01:14:28] the works that is required whether or
[01:14:30] not it is more appropriate to fall under
[01:14:32] the development program. Um however um
[01:14:37] in general prioritization would come
[01:14:39] from council. There are times however
[01:14:44] where the engineering department with of
[01:14:47] course my permission as well as the co
[01:14:49] permission we would take the initiative
[01:14:52] for specific complaints and this is
[01:14:54] specific to recurrent works. So where we
[01:14:57] have complaints that potentially could
[01:15:00] endanger the members of the public um
[01:15:03] and their property their vehicles etc.
[01:15:06] um some of which may cause issues with
[01:15:10] neighboring properties like houses etc.
[01:15:14] We would tend to prioritize those things
[01:15:17] for ourselves. It's almost like taking a
[01:15:20] chance so to speak. Um
[01:15:23] it's it's us saying this is something
[01:15:26] that is urgent and we do not believe
[01:15:28] that council will go against it. Um we
[01:15:31] do report these works in our progress
[01:15:35] report which happens on a monthly basis.
[01:15:38] It is submitted to council for review
[01:15:41] and thus far we have not have we have
[01:15:43] not had any complaints. Um also on a
[01:15:47] regular basis I would receive as well as
[01:15:50] the CEO would receive from the
[01:15:52] counselors throughout the course of that
[01:15:56] month they would receive requests on in
[01:15:58] general. So we typically would ensure
[01:16:02] that the council requests are met but if
[01:16:04] there are some very critical areas that
[01:16:07] potentially could cause harm to the
[01:16:08] members of the public then we take the
[01:16:11] initiative.
[01:16:14] >> Thank you for sharing your perspective
[01:16:16] Miss Graham. I want to revert to one um
[01:16:22] issue that I believe was traversed by
[01:16:24] Mr. Ramden
[01:16:26] just for all records. Is there a dollar
[01:16:30] value of losses incurred due to theft of
[01:16:33] materials that you have? You have a
[01:16:35] record of that.
[01:16:43] The madam tree um
[01:16:47] the ministry um you know we we procure
[01:16:52] aggregate limestone all the ingredients
[01:16:54] to go and mix with the bitumen the
[01:16:56] bitmen is procured through um lake
[01:16:59] asphalt
[01:17:01] um when when that is
[01:17:04] um that enters the asphalt plant the um
[01:17:08] aqua Santa plant that's the only plant
[01:17:10] that government owns for the asphalt mix
[01:17:12] right um then we distribute it
[01:17:14] accordingly right um
[01:17:18] in the past we would just drop the
[01:17:21] material
[01:17:23] and when I look through the files I'm
[01:17:25] asking where the delivery notes to say
[01:17:28] that this is what was received or who
[01:17:31] received what where did it go um the
[01:17:33] accountability process is not there in
[01:17:35] reporting back right um going forward
[01:17:39] the there's a lot of requests coming in
[01:17:42] hot mix hot mix asphalt. Um the reality
[01:17:45] is that the the the aua plant has
[01:17:48] undergone an upgrade. There's an
[01:17:50] electrical issue we're trying to resolve
[01:17:51] right now. So that should be back up and
[01:17:52] running um as soon as possible. Once
[01:17:55] that happens, we would have to go into a
[01:17:57] a cautionary arrangement where
[01:18:00] um aggregate and mit probably um
[01:18:04] resources would have to be procured
[01:18:07] through um the local government and
[01:18:10] given to us so that we could blend it
[01:18:11] for them and give it back to them.
[01:18:13] Right? So we trying to have um we have
[01:18:17] better accountability in terms of when
[01:18:18] we distribute ours and we give it we
[01:18:20] know that going somewhere, right? and
[01:18:23] not in somebody's backyard. That's what
[01:18:25] I'm going to say in term of
[01:18:26] accountability. Um
[01:18:30] >> yeah.
[01:18:30] >> So what I'm really asking is in so there
[01:18:33] might be some gaps arising as you say
[01:18:35] accountability but do we have a
[01:18:38] quantifiable amount for any losses
[01:18:42] in these gaps if the material is taken
[01:18:46] and or there's an alleged theft of the
[01:18:49] material. Do we have a quantifiable
[01:18:52] amount? Madam Chair, um I could tell you
[01:18:54] at in San Fernando there's a next to
[01:18:57] Galconda there's a stockpile of um uh
[01:19:02] Miller material right that's a ministry
[01:19:04] of work site I recently visited and it's
[01:19:08] it's not even a fence there's no
[01:19:11] watchman on site there set of material
[01:19:12] there and you see evidence of backho
[01:19:15] going in and taking out material trucks
[01:19:17] creating alternative access points so
[01:19:20] I'm looking at all the facilities these
[01:19:22] district offices right now to improve
[01:19:23] security and um monitoring of these
[01:19:25] sites right so um
[01:19:29] there's evidence that um personnel even
[01:19:33] so when when when I have the NAT plant
[01:19:35] and I order aggregate I'm not too sure
[01:19:37] if that aggregate is diverted right so
[01:19:40] the monitoring evaluation ministry has
[01:19:42] been a big weakness over the last 10
[01:19:43] years and we want to fix it right um we
[01:19:46] we we kind of gradually building it back
[01:19:48] up where it's supposed to be in tering
[01:19:50] frameworks
[01:19:52] I'm glad to hear that there's a plan to
[01:19:55] monitor, but um it would also be helpful
[01:19:58] if you could assess what are the losses
[01:20:01] so you can know the extent of the
[01:20:02] problem. I believe that member thus had
[01:20:07] a question and followed by member
[01:20:09] Marcel.
[01:20:11] >> Madame Trina Tru, I have a question and
[01:20:14] I have a couple of concerns.
[01:20:17] The question is I am wondering based on
[01:20:21] what the mayor said if it is reasonable
[01:20:25] to request the data
[01:20:28] on the potholes and the size of the
[01:20:29] potholes and and all that to furnish to
[01:20:33] the ministry
[01:20:35] with the expectation that you would have
[01:20:37] material to do your work because in the
[01:20:40] mayor's comment he did say that he
[01:20:42] submitted in excess of three months and
[01:20:46] there has not been a response.
[01:20:48] How do we account for the further
[01:20:50] deterioration of the potholes over that
[01:20:53] last 3 months?
[01:20:56] How we would know that what we supply in
[01:20:59] terms of material would actually get the
[01:21:01] roads fixed?
[01:21:04] You see um I'm thinking that when we
[01:21:08] institute a system the system and we
[01:21:11] make the the demands to have these um
[01:21:15] data produced
[01:21:17] is because we are looking for immediate
[01:21:19] action
[01:21:20] and if we don't get immediate action how
[01:21:22] do we account
[01:21:25] for the gap
[01:21:27] and how do we intend to justify that the
[01:21:30] request that we make is a request that
[01:21:34] will in fact solve our problem.
[01:21:37] Thank you, Madam Chair.
[01:21:39] >> Thank you, member Thomas. I believe that
[01:21:42] was more a comment. Um, so I will allow
[01:21:47] member Marel to raise his question.
[01:21:50] >> Deeply grateful, Madame Chair.
[01:21:53] PS, you indicated
[01:21:58] that there is some issues concerning the
[01:22:00] monitor the monitoring and evaluation.
[01:22:03] um aspects of diminish in relation to
[01:22:06] materials that are um materials that are
[01:22:10] owned by the state, purchased by the
[01:22:12] state being stolen somewhere somewhere
[01:22:15] or the other
[01:22:17] and this has been going on for some
[01:22:19] significant time you have indicated.
[01:22:23] What's within what steps if any
[01:22:28] in your opinion can be taken as it
[01:22:32] relates to involving the arms of the
[01:22:35] national sec of of our national security
[01:22:38] to protect against um these further
[01:22:41] waste of resources which obviously um
[01:22:44] all our municipal corporations are are
[01:22:47] deeply in need of. So again my my my
[01:22:52] question is what in your opinion
[01:22:56] are some immediate steps that can be
[01:22:58] taken through any partnership with the
[01:23:03] arms of the of the of the state in
[01:23:05] relative to national security to prevent
[01:23:08] same from continuing
[01:23:12] chair. Um
[01:23:16] what one solution for addressing the
[01:23:19] issue of proper control of inventory is
[01:23:22] to have a national stockpile. Um the
[01:23:25] ministry um has a stockpile of BM right
[01:23:29] across the highway bar there. There's a
[01:23:31] next one right for mill material. Um
[01:23:35] these things are left unguarded right.
[01:23:38] Um I'm looking at the aspect of um
[01:23:40] having a central stockpile a central
[01:23:42] stores right so I could have everything
[01:23:45] monitored. Uh we made representation for
[01:23:47] taking on more watchmen right. Um our
[01:23:50] estate police is uh reduced to um
[01:23:53] minimal number right now since the
[01:23:55] split. Um we're looking at the aspect of
[01:23:57] improving the estate police because they
[01:23:58] are the ones precepted to to drive and
[01:24:01] monitor. So we're looking at the whole
[01:24:04] security coverage aspect of the ministry
[01:24:06] right now for for evaluating and and
[01:24:08] beef it up.
[01:24:10] Can can we see that those um
[01:24:13] recommendations find it find its way
[01:24:15] into the ministry's um fiscal planning
[01:24:20] um for 2026 2027
[01:24:27] yeses um it's actually in progress right
[01:24:29] now um
[01:24:32] there's the
[01:24:35] interim national quaries which is a
[01:24:37] resource for supplying us um we are
[01:24:40] doing an audit and um assessment on
[01:24:43] national queries right now. Um we're
[01:24:46] looking at systems to to basically um
[01:24:49] safeguard the material so that we could
[01:24:51] have it and accessible for our plant.
[01:24:54] Right. So we we we are we are looking at
[01:24:58] looking at um whole system improvement
[01:25:00] optimization right now inside the
[01:25:01] ministry.
[01:25:03] >> Deeply grateful. Thank you madam chair
[01:25:04] and thank you PS.
[01:25:06] >> Thank you. I want to shift to some
[01:25:08] specific questions for the corporations
[01:25:12] and I'd like to start with the Shaguanas
[01:25:14] Borough Corporation.
[01:25:16] Uh your submission stated that the
[01:25:19] equipment available for road repairs
[01:25:23] works that of the equipment available to
[01:25:25] the back number two is currently in need
[01:25:29] of repairs. How long has it been under
[01:25:32] repair and when will these repairs be
[01:25:35] concluded?
[01:25:39] This is for the Shagonas Burough
[01:25:40] Corporation.
[01:25:42] >> Yeah. Uh Madame Chair, so the
[01:25:46] repairs to the back number two, uh the
[01:25:50] estimate the last estimate done by the
[01:25:52] workshop
[01:25:54] amounted to about $60,000.
[01:25:57] Um
[01:26:00] and based on the fact that we have other
[01:26:02] equipment that we
[01:26:05] would but cost less to to repair um we
[01:26:08] tend to
[01:26:10] send the funds in that direction, right?
[01:26:13] Um, so
[01:26:15] we have to be basically make a strategic
[01:26:17] choice in terms of how we spend the
[01:26:19] money because if we we would have gotten
[01:26:24] $250,000 in our recurrent
[01:26:27] last year to do repairs for our entire
[01:26:29] fleet, right? So if we were to put the
[01:26:31] 60,000 towards that, it would have taken
[01:26:33] out too much for just one piece of
[01:26:36] equipment,
[01:26:38] right? So um hopefully if we get a
[01:26:40] increase in the next financial year we
[01:26:42] will look at um fixing that piece of
[01:26:44] equipment.
[01:26:48] Thank you very much. Uh my next question
[01:26:51] is to the separia borrow corporation
[01:26:56] and
[01:26:59] so I want to refer to the submissions
[01:27:01] that you made and in particular that
[01:27:04] there are certain measures that are
[01:27:06] uniformly applied to awarded contracts.
[01:27:09] So I'll remind you of what some of those
[01:27:11] are that there are cash performance
[01:27:13] bonds required from all contractors.
[01:27:16] that there are retention fees of 5% to
[01:27:19] 10% of contract sums that are withheld
[01:27:23] pending satisfactory completion and that
[01:27:26] there is a liability period of one to
[01:27:28] two months observed on all completed
[01:27:31] works during which the defects will be
[01:27:34] rectified by the contractor at no cost
[01:27:37] to the corporation. So in light of that,
[01:27:40] the first thing I want to ask is what is
[01:27:43] the standard defects liability period
[01:27:45] for road works across corporations?
[01:27:49] Is there a standard defects period?
[01:27:51] >> Um madame chair, the standard tend to be
[01:27:55] around 3 months,
[01:27:56] >> two weeks.
[01:27:57] >> 3 months.
[01:27:57] >> Oh, 3 months. Okay. And
[01:28:02] have you ever had to utilize this clause
[01:28:05] in any of your contracts?
[01:28:08] And how often would you say in your
[01:28:10] estimation?
[01:28:13] >> The clause are always used in each
[01:28:16] contract, but in terms of um
[01:28:18] enforcement, yes, we have to use we use
[01:28:20] >> what I'm saying. Yes, the clause is in
[01:28:22] it is in the contract, but have you had
[01:28:24] to rely on it? And how often you've had
[01:28:26] to do so?
[01:28:29] But so far we have we don't we we did
[01:28:32] not have any issues where we have to
[01:28:34] like forfeit the bonds or anything but
[01:28:36] it does help in ensuring that the
[01:28:39] contractors complete the work
[01:28:41] >> and spec specifically the retention of
[01:28:43] fees you've had to do those things.
[01:28:46] >> Um yes.
[01:28:46] >> Okay. And you would say often or not
[01:28:48] often?
[01:28:49] >> Um not often.
[01:28:52] And in circumstances where
[01:28:55] that clause was enforced
[01:28:58] um was the contractor penalized
[01:29:02] in any way?
[01:29:04] >> Okay. Uh one of the issue we face um
[01:29:07] especially in recent time due to the
[01:29:09] delay in getting releases like for
[01:29:11] instance recently we had a case where um
[01:29:16] because of the length of time they we um
[01:29:19] the funds were released. It extended
[01:29:22] beyond the warranty period and we had a
[01:29:26] case where we had a a a damaged culvert
[01:29:30] and more or less it was off it was out
[01:29:33] of the the period but fortunately we
[01:29:36] contractor um in good faith um promise
[01:29:40] to do the work.
[01:29:41] >> Okay. That that would have been
[01:29:42] fortunate for you. And as we're on that
[01:29:46] um topic, how soon would you say after
[01:29:50] the defects liability period do issues
[01:29:53] of repair arise from your observation?
[01:29:58] >> Um it varies um based because again we
[01:30:00] have different types of roads
[01:30:02] >> of course.
[01:30:03] >> So it varies. So sometime it could be
[01:30:06] early but in most cases
[01:30:07] >> and when you say early it could give me
[01:30:09] >> it could it could be within probably um
[01:30:12] 3 months after.
[01:30:14] >> Okay. Thank you. I would invite
[01:30:19] professor Patad I believe you had a
[01:30:21] specific question for the ARA borrow
[01:30:24] corporation.
[01:30:25] Thank you madam chair but I just wanted
[01:30:27] to just refer to something the question
[01:30:30] you just asked
[01:30:32] the liability period this is one to two
[01:30:35] months
[01:30:38] but you just said after 3 months you
[01:30:41] look at it I'm confused there's a
[01:30:44] specific you know defects and liability
[01:30:46] period if you said one to two months at
[01:30:49] 3 months there is no liability
[01:30:51] so is that a mistake Oh
[01:30:55] >> well more or less we we give a period
[01:30:57] based on the nature of the contract. So
[01:30:59] when I said 3 months it depends on um
[01:31:02] sometime depending on the cost of the
[01:31:04] job we may extend the liability period.
[01:31:07] Oh, so it's not fixed one to two months.
[01:31:09] I think that wasn't clear. Yes, I know
[01:31:11] you like in large contracts you have a
[01:31:13] liability period of one year or so there
[01:31:15] generally speaking. Um yeah, with the
[01:31:19] ARMA borrow cooperation, Madame Chair,
[01:31:24] the staff complement the is it all um
[01:31:28] filled or still vacancies
[01:31:31] at the ARMA B corporation?
[01:31:34] Madame chair through you.
[01:31:37] Um currently under the works department
[01:31:42] we have one appointed work supervisor
[01:31:45] two and four work supervisor ones that
[01:31:49] are acting.
[01:31:51] They are the persons responsible
[01:31:54] for assessing road conditions
[01:31:57] and patch patching through the um our
[01:32:00] in-house team.
[01:32:02] So our work supervisor ones are acting
[01:32:07] they're not appointed and then on our
[01:32:11] projects team
[01:32:13] um that's the team that deals with the
[01:32:16] DP developmental program projects the
[01:32:18] PSIP projects
[01:32:20] we have one acting engineering assistant
[01:32:24] too
[01:32:26] so that's the current staff staffing we
[01:32:28] have
[01:32:29] >> thank you sir um through you madame
[01:32:31] chair Okay, the when you look who within
[01:32:35] your compliment staff compliment looks
[01:32:37] at the quality of work done and this is
[01:32:41] done with standard tests or visual
[01:32:44] observations only.
[01:32:48] >> Um madam tre through you um I just want
[01:32:52] to clarify that question is it regarding
[01:32:55] patching or paving
[01:32:58] >> both. Okay. Right. So with the patchwork
[01:33:03] the work supervisors
[01:33:06] they supervise the the jobs regarding
[01:33:09] all patching with our in-house team with
[01:33:12] the paving works. It is myself and uh
[01:33:16] another member of my technical team in
[01:33:19] the projects department that oversees
[01:33:21] the contractors when they executing the
[01:33:24] pavement works.
[01:33:25] >> Madam chair through you you didn't
[01:33:26] answer the question. Is it vis um just
[01:33:29] visual observations
[01:33:32] for in like let's take profess
[01:33:34] >> no no it's not it's not visual
[01:33:36] observations alone
[01:33:38] >> um sometimes we do ask the contractors
[01:33:42] to some of them have thermometers to
[01:33:45] check the temperature of the hot mix as
[01:33:48] well. No, but specifically when you're
[01:33:51] finished,
[01:33:53] let's give a specific example. You're
[01:33:54] patching a pothole. Do you have um you
[01:33:58] normally you get a bit higher than the
[01:34:00] roadway. You have specifications for
[01:34:02] that or it's you know in terms of your
[01:34:05] patching the design and then say this is
[01:34:07] what you require.
[01:34:10] So um in terms of the patching
[01:34:14] no we tend to we our specifications we
[01:34:18] don't have a written specification
[01:34:20] document for patchwork but we tend to
[01:34:22] leave it
[01:34:24] about approximately a little under an
[01:34:27] inch higher than the existing surface
[01:34:31] >> and finally madam chair do you actually
[01:34:32] measure like a visual inspection like
[01:34:35] say so you do visual inspections only
[01:34:38] basically
[01:34:41] for patching. Um, madame chair, through
[01:34:44] you, yes, visual inspections are
[01:34:46] conducted.
[01:34:46] >> And lastly, mad chair, um, through madam
[01:34:49] chair, when you do paving work with
[01:34:52] regard to again specification, I've seen
[01:34:54] places where the paving is higher than
[01:34:56] the pavement
[01:34:58] that on which you walk. Um, so do do you
[01:35:02] look at these sort of things?
[01:35:04] um through through the chair that does
[01:35:08] not happen in ARMA before a project is
[01:35:12] executed or
[01:35:15] before
[01:35:18] a project is scoped. What we look
[01:35:23] before a project is scoped. What we look
[01:35:23] at it's the height of the sidewalk to
[01:35:27] the carriageway and um then we prepare
[01:35:30] the scope. That way when the contractor
[01:35:32] executes the contractor is aware of what
[01:35:35] they have to do at what depth the road
[01:35:38] needs to be mil and paved that and so
[01:35:41] forth what thickness of asphalt we need
[01:35:42] to apply.
[01:35:44] >> Thank you. I'm glad to hear is working
[01:35:46] well.
[01:35:49] >> Thank you member Marcel. You have a
[01:35:52] question.
[01:35:52] >> Thank you very kindly madam chair. um to
[01:35:55] the ARMA borrow corporation. You
[01:35:58] indicated that your in your submissions
[01:36:00] you indicated that 100% of your internal
[01:36:04] patch of your patching 100% of your
[01:36:07] patching is done internally.
[01:36:10] Um member
[01:36:12] Pad asked earlier in relation to the
[01:36:17] complement of staff under the works
[01:36:19] under the works department that treats
[01:36:21] with the internal patching and you
[01:36:23] identified work supervise all work
[01:36:25] supervisors different um in terms of
[01:36:28] approximate of five persons make up that
[01:36:30] team. Um to answer that question
[01:36:33] specifically through you madame chair um
[01:36:36] what happens is one of the work
[01:36:39] supervisors one out of the five
[01:36:41] supervises the asphalt gang. Our asphalt
[01:36:44] gang is comprised of approximately 10
[01:36:48] daily rated workers inclusive of a
[01:36:51] driver to operate the vehicle and a
[01:36:54] onework supervisor who's in charge of it
[01:36:56] supervises the paving sorry patching.
[01:37:00] >> Understood. So you have about five
[01:37:03] supervisors and about 10 daily um about
[01:37:06] a team of of 10 um daily paid workers.
[01:37:09] All right. So I got I got you correct
[01:37:10] there.
[01:37:10] >> That's correct. In terms of the existing
[01:37:16] um
[01:37:18] manpower vac manpower vacancy
[01:37:23] are all the vacancies filled under the
[01:37:25] works department as we speak.
[01:37:29] Um with the monthly paid staff there are
[01:37:33] persons that are like I said they are
[01:37:35] they are persons that are acting. So I
[01:37:38] mean they are filled but it's they're
[01:37:40] not appointed.
[01:37:42] Now our daily rated section which is the
[01:37:44] asel team given the resources we have in
[01:37:47] terms of the mechanical
[01:37:49] um equipment that is all we can handle
[01:37:53] right now. Given though we are the
[01:37:55] smallest municipality of approximately
[01:37:59] 4.6 square miles our infrastructure is
[01:38:03] aged and is failing. And in terms of
[01:38:08] more developments are taking place and
[01:38:11] so forth, there's more businesses, more
[01:38:13] residential homes are being constructed.
[01:38:16] We do need additional staffing. We do
[01:38:20] need additional resources for material
[01:38:22] and so forth. So, additional financial
[01:38:24] resources to procure the asphalt needed
[01:38:27] for that.
[01:38:28] >> Beautiful. Um one last question with
[01:38:31] your current um staffing arrangement and
[01:38:34] with your current resources allocated
[01:38:37] let's say for um for this fisc for this
[01:38:40] fiscal
[01:38:42] um could you give an estimation of in
[01:38:44] terms of by way of some form of metric
[01:38:47] in terms of how many tons how many how
[01:38:50] many tons of of hot mix was used um and
[01:38:54] or procure specifically for internal
[01:38:56] patch um for internal patching Um and or
[01:39:01] um if you have any um listing of the
[01:39:06] amount um let's say the amount of of of
[01:39:08] of of meters in in paving that was
[01:39:11] covered within um this this fiscal or
[01:39:14] perhaps even to make it much more simple
[01:39:16] if you can give an average as per month
[01:39:19] with the resources and the staff at the
[01:39:21] ARA Corporation concerning the works
[01:39:23] department um that treats 100% with your
[01:39:27] with your patches internally what
[01:39:30] average you are looking at with for the
[01:39:31] whole borrow.
[01:39:32] >> So um
[01:39:35] through the chair um madam chair through
[01:39:38] you to answer that question
[01:39:41] approximation
[01:39:43] um within a financial year we usually
[01:39:48] would want to request between 80 to 100
[01:39:52] tons of asphaltic mix. Sometimes hot mix
[01:39:56] is required, sometimes we usually use
[01:39:58] cold mix. Um and that is that is to
[01:40:01] facilitate the approximately 400 roads
[01:40:06] within the municipality. Now given each
[01:40:09] financial year changes because of um the
[01:40:12] potholes being developed especially with
[01:40:15] others um with potholes formed from
[01:40:18] other state agencies such as WASA, we
[01:40:20] have to anticipate those things. So it
[01:40:23] varies but
[01:40:26] every financial year we anticipate a
[01:40:28] minimum of 80 tons of mix required for
[01:40:31] patching.
[01:40:36] >> Thank you Mr. Kafur.
[01:40:39] >> Professor Pasad member Pasad you had a
[01:40:42] question.
[01:40:43] >> Thank you madam chair with regard to
[01:40:46] partner with the private sector. Um
[01:40:51] the the reality is the state of the
[01:40:53] roads now are
[01:40:55] not you know what it should be. So there
[01:40:58] is a lot of work that needs to be done.
[01:41:01] Um we have just heard that all the
[01:41:03] corporations are sort of short staffed
[01:41:05] and fast stuff um you know with money
[01:41:08] also there are issues with money. So if
[01:41:10] you get the comm communities to work
[01:41:12] together and private businesses within
[01:41:14] the various local sort of government um
[01:41:17] corporations, councils,
[01:41:20] is there any plan to actually formalize
[01:41:24] this sort of partnership with the
[01:41:26] businesses and you know private people
[01:41:29] in any particular area to assist with
[01:41:31] the passion of POS in particular?
[01:41:37] I guess that question is the regional
[01:41:40] cooperation.
[01:41:42] Oh um ministry of local government also
[01:41:49] um through
[01:41:51] the chair madam chair to answer Mr.
[01:41:54] Pad's question on behalf of Armo Boro
[01:41:56] Corporation
[01:41:58] with our council we are trying to
[01:42:02] achieve this but
[01:42:05] we are still making an attempts for
[01:42:07] this.
[01:42:10] >> When you say attempts what are have been
[01:42:13] those attempts if you mind? We
[01:42:16] >> well through our council we are seeking
[01:42:19] our council to reach out to the business
[01:42:21] community if they can assist at least
[01:42:25] procure any materials and we could
[01:42:26] assist in terms of departing.
[01:42:32] >> Thank you Mr. Gur. Any other cooperation
[01:42:34] wishes to share on their own
[01:42:36] initiatives? Thank you. Yes madam chair
[01:42:39] with respect to that question there are
[01:42:41] times when burgesses throughout the
[01:42:43] region when corporation cannot reach to
[01:42:46] satisfy the needs they usually come
[01:42:48] forward and purchase the material we
[01:42:50] provide transport equipment and labor to
[01:42:53] do those patching
[01:42:55] >> thank you Mr. the mayor. Anyone else?
[01:42:58] I'm
[01:42:58] >> chair. I agree with the last speaker and
[01:43:02] um in addition
[01:43:04] uh I believe the techno the technical
[01:43:08] department the technical officers would
[01:43:10] have to investigate and ensure that the
[01:43:12] roadway is being addressed though does
[01:43:14] not fall entirely on a private um
[01:43:17] approach. um is roads that would be
[01:43:20] utilized for public access and and you
[01:43:23] know bridge bridge with with with that
[01:43:25] aspect.
[01:43:28] >> Thank you Mr. Jag moan.
[01:43:30] >> Madam chair if I may contribute also um
[01:43:33] the ministry works has a a materials lab
[01:43:35] and we actually test our hot mix as in
[01:43:38] this lab. um there's a risk of um the
[01:43:42] regional corporation buying offsp spec
[01:43:43] material applying offsp spec material
[01:43:45] that may not yield the best result. I
[01:43:48] would advise them to whatever they
[01:43:50] procure to send a sample to um our lab
[01:43:53] for testing so that we can advise them
[01:43:54] on the quality control.
[01:43:59] Just just a quick followup I guess I
[01:44:00] mean I I understand that and and it's
[01:44:04] maybe ideal
[01:44:06] but you don't want to prevent people
[01:44:08] from actually stepping forward and
[01:44:10] helping and that's why I asked the
[01:44:12] question earlier if you can sort of let
[01:44:15] the regional corporations know the what
[01:44:18] exactly is required some of the design
[01:44:20] requirements because really people I get
[01:44:23] the impression that people want to help
[01:44:26] but they need a proper mechanism in
[01:44:28] which you know to which to help through
[01:44:30] which to help. So I'm suggesting that
[01:44:32] you really go back to the question I
[01:44:34] asked initially what is being done in
[01:44:37] that regard to you know to help the
[01:44:40] corporations improve you know their
[01:44:42] their works and the processes. U madam
[01:44:45] chair um we have been this well talking
[01:44:49] with some of these um hot mix as
[01:44:52] providers the the who operate the plants
[01:44:54] and they complain that the the bitammen
[01:44:56] is not coming to the quality when it's
[01:44:58] imported sometimes they don't get to the
[01:45:00] quality they expect right so when they
[01:45:03] do it do the um mix you you may not get
[01:45:05] the proper bind and um so it's very
[01:45:08] important we we do a traceability on the
[01:45:10] vitamin that's coming in um at the
[01:45:13] hotman gas what has been blended check
[01:45:16] the materials it goes into and all that
[01:45:18] all lab could do
[01:45:21] >> last question if I use local slang
[01:45:26] I I want to ask this I find this is you
[01:45:29] know I haven't spent my life in the
[01:45:30] university and un the government spends
[01:45:33] a lot of money in the university we have
[01:45:35] a lot of trade manpower people there
[01:45:37] people are you know competent and I
[01:45:40] don't get the impression that the
[01:45:43] universities are being drawn born upon
[01:45:44] to make full use in terms of advice and
[01:45:48] you know and trading etc. Is there any
[01:45:50] movement in that regard?
[01:45:54] >> Yes. Um Madam Chetri uh the ministry has
[01:45:59] a a project called Ikeep the um it's
[01:46:04] working directly with universities so
[01:46:06] that we could set up a database to that
[01:46:08] we could capture information and shared
[01:46:11] with the civil engine department so that
[01:46:13] um they could get field information and
[01:46:16] you know uh issues we have in in
[01:46:19] reconstruction and quality control um
[01:46:22] the the quality of services rendered Um
[01:46:26] simple as um the asphalt you know it
[01:46:28] warps at 60° C. Um the heat on the road
[01:46:33] when you pave in the wet season they
[01:46:35] don't get the proper buying. So you have
[01:46:36] to look at the dry season to pave the
[01:46:38] cash flow coming out from the ministry
[01:46:40] of finance is not matching the seasonal
[01:46:43] um time frames. So we need the cash flow
[01:46:45] to happen in the dry season versus the
[01:46:47] wet season. So we could fix the roads in
[01:46:49] the dry season. All these things you
[01:46:51] know has to be synchronized and we could
[01:46:53] share that knowledge to everyone.
[01:47:02] >> Thank you. I want to ask this is about
[01:47:07] the contracts and selecting contractors.
[01:47:10] The in your submissions we would note we
[01:47:14] we would have noted sorry that
[01:47:16] corporations generally use open and
[01:47:19] selective tendering to procure
[01:47:21] contractors
[01:47:23] for the road repairs. Can you share what
[01:47:26] factors determine
[01:47:28] whether open tendering or selective
[01:47:30] tendering is used for a road project?
[01:47:39] Would anyone want to share?
[01:47:54] to the corporations but at the at the
[01:47:57] ministry um we do in fact use um as you
[01:48:02] mentioned selective tendering and what
[01:48:05] we we try to do is to um use of course
[01:48:11] we use contractors from the OPR
[01:48:13] depository that's the first thing and we
[01:48:15] try to zone um contractors within u
[01:48:21] within a particular area Um so if we're
[01:48:25] doing a project in south you know we we
[01:48:27] would try to do use contractors that
[01:48:30] address um located in the south area if
[01:48:33] it's in the north uh and central and so
[01:48:36] on. Um we find that works um well for us
[01:48:40] with respect to particularly for road
[01:48:43] works. Um of course for different types
[01:48:45] of works you might have to widen the
[01:48:47] pool but particularly for road works we
[01:48:49] tend to to do that and and we find that
[01:48:51] works well. I am not again I'm not
[01:48:54] certain what the corporations um what
[01:48:56] what method they use and the reason or
[01:48:58] the rationale for it.
[01:49:02] Thank you Mr. Barup. So you shared that
[01:49:03] the location of the contractor is a
[01:49:06] factor. Are there any other eligibility
[01:49:09] factors that you consider aside from
[01:49:11] that?
[01:49:19] U madame chair uh some of the factors we
[01:49:22] look at as well with selecting
[01:49:23] contractors is those who have a proven
[01:49:26] track record of asphalt works who own
[01:49:30] their own plant and equipment as well as
[01:49:33] they have the technical capacity to
[01:49:35] execute these jobs that also plays a
[01:49:38] factor into how we select the
[01:49:40] contractors for the specific
[01:49:43] specific paving jobs.
[01:49:46] >> Thank you very much Mr. Padilla. Miss
[01:49:48] Graham, I see you nodding. Um, do you
[01:49:51] have any
[01:49:53] um
[01:49:55] I'd like to hear your perspective on the
[01:49:57] eligibility criteria that you also
[01:50:00] consider.
[01:50:01] >> Um, through you, chair, I do agree with
[01:50:04] both persons who responded. Um, in
[01:50:07] general, we do open tendering.
[01:50:11] um
[01:50:13] partially because we want to ensure that
[01:50:18] we get works done as quickly as possible
[01:50:20] and by spreading the playing field so to
[01:50:22] speak we get more persons
[01:50:26] um we get the projects being distributed
[01:50:28] more right versus just isolation with
[01:50:32] specific contractors and of course
[01:50:34] knowing how late sometimes you receive
[01:50:36] confirmation of funds that is necessary
[01:50:40] however There are projects based on our
[01:50:44] investigations prior that we realize
[01:50:49] these projects need specific expertise
[01:50:51] attention. Um these projects need to be
[01:50:55] done in a quick time frame in a time
[01:50:58] frame where we do not need delays. For
[01:51:00] example, projects where there are the
[01:51:03] the areas are hight traffic areas,
[01:51:05] projects where there are high risks,
[01:51:08] it's close to precipice or at the edge.
[01:51:11] So we want to use selective tendering
[01:51:14] because we want to ensure that the best
[01:51:17] persons get the opportunity to do the
[01:51:19] work and we benefit at the end without
[01:51:23] well I should say with the least risk
[01:51:24] possible when if we open it to tender
[01:51:28] sometimes contractors they just bid a
[01:51:31] low price and they score really well and
[01:51:33] we end up with a lot of challenges and
[01:51:35] problems. So we can't take that risk. So
[01:51:38] we go with the selective tendering for
[01:51:40] things like that. Um a lot of the times
[01:51:42] you consider persons who we have had
[01:51:45] experience with as an organization. They
[01:51:48] have done incredibly good work and we
[01:51:51] can vouch for them so to speak helping
[01:51:54] us to ensure that this particular
[01:51:55] project is successful in addition to of
[01:51:58] course their price their bid price as
[01:52:01] well as the the scores that we would
[01:52:03] give for their expertise etc.
[01:52:07] >> Thank you Mr. Jagmu and do you have
[01:52:09] anything you wish to share from the
[01:52:11] penel deb corporations perspective? I
[01:52:14] agree totally with all the speakers Brad
[01:52:16] speaking and um and yes
[01:52:18] >> you you can activate the the microphone.
[01:52:21] >> Sorry.
[01:52:21] >> Yeah. Um I'm in agreement with all the
[01:52:23] previous speakers and um yes uh
[01:52:27] sometimes for the competitive edge um
[01:52:30] you may uh have the the tendering
[01:52:33] process open open bidden so that um as
[01:52:37] indicated you spread it out. you're able
[01:52:39] to you're able to in the shortest space
[01:52:42] at time um achieve numerous projects
[01:52:44] happening in the shortest space of time
[01:52:46] with or with with uh the many
[01:52:49] contractors who might be um contracted.
[01:52:52] Um but there are the cases with with
[01:52:54] with where selective is is for sure the
[01:52:58] the better way to go. You want to get
[01:53:00] that consistency with the work with the
[01:53:02] output of work and you need to get that
[01:53:04] specialized touch to to to the work to
[01:53:07] be done.
[01:53:10] Thank you. I want to go to the DO Martin
[01:53:13] Borrow Corporation and a specific
[01:53:16] question to that corporation regarding
[01:53:19] recruitment. The position of the county
[01:53:22] superintendent is vacant. Yes,
[01:53:25] >> Cheru. Not anymore.
[01:53:27] >> Oh, because I was going to ask what are
[01:53:30] the specific recruitment plans for this
[01:53:34] position? So, when was it filled?
[01:53:37] last Friday.
[01:53:38] >> Yeah.
[01:53:39] >> Okay.
[01:53:41] >> Thank you very much. Also, I believe at
[01:53:45] the Penal Daily Regional Corporation,
[01:53:48] the position of county superintendent is
[01:53:51] also vacant. Yes.
[01:53:53] >> Um, currently we had some some changes.
[01:53:57] Um, I would have moved up to the
[01:53:59] position of work superintendent. We have
[01:54:02] a county superintendent has who has
[01:54:04] reported um last week to the to the
[01:54:07] corporation. We have with us um uh the
[01:54:11] road officer one which is geared to move
[01:54:12] up to road officer to Miss Jillian and
[01:54:15] we would be at least um we'll be missing
[01:54:19] two road officer ones and a work
[01:54:22] supervisor one. Um we would need those
[01:54:25] positions to be filled. And what are the
[01:54:28] interim arrangements you have put in
[01:54:30] place in the absence of
[01:54:31] >> um luckily we have some intelligent um
[01:54:34] personnels um with us. Uh we have the
[01:54:38] daily paid um checkers who assist as
[01:54:42] district supervisors in the absence of
[01:54:44] the road officer. The monthly pay road
[01:54:46] officer once we have um a couple of
[01:54:50] former two positions and CR CR2
[01:54:54] positions within the within the the
[01:54:57] districts the the the administrative
[01:54:59] district of Penal and Debe. Um um we
[01:55:03] would have 10 electoral areas that have
[01:55:06] the daily paid staff uh that assists
[01:55:09] with the road rehabilitation works. Um
[01:55:11] 10 gangs in 10 10 teams that have eight
[01:55:16] laborers per team. The the only the only
[01:55:19] stress with that is each team has a
[01:55:23] permanent staff of about three laborers.
[01:55:26] So five of the laborers really uh
[01:55:29] outsource through contract services um
[01:55:31] short-term contract. Um it would be nice
[01:55:34] if we should have if we get some
[01:55:35] sustainable approach to to um to to get
[01:55:38] these labor force in and that's
[01:55:40] something to look forward to in in the
[01:55:42] future if you know ministry could look
[01:55:44] into um that aspect and um and yeah
[01:55:48] we're functioning to do the road
[01:55:49] rehabilitation works luckily with these
[01:55:52] contracted um short-term contracted
[01:55:54] workers and the and the current monthly
[01:55:56] paid staff we have.
[01:56:00] >> Thank you Mr. Jaguan. Uh any other
[01:56:03] members have any residual questions that
[01:56:06] you wish to ask?
[01:56:10] >> Yes, member Marel.
[01:56:14] Perhaps I could direct this um question.
[01:56:16] Madam chair, thank you very kindly. Um
[01:56:19] let's look at Martin Corporation.
[01:56:24] Now
[01:56:28] >> there is a ongoing issue between WASA
[01:56:32] um repairing the necessary leaks that
[01:56:35] they have that they have to in the major
[01:56:38] roads some of which includes the roads
[01:56:41] that are vested in the corporation and
[01:56:42] which the corporation have the
[01:56:43] responsibility
[01:56:45] um for
[01:56:47] there is indication from the submissions
[01:56:49] that we receive from several corporate
[01:56:50] from several corporations that WASA
[01:56:54] um essentially
[01:56:56] commence work within the municipal
[01:56:59] corporations district without informing
[01:57:03] the municipal corporation.
[01:57:05] Now the municipal corporation act um
[01:57:09] dictates that where uh where any
[01:57:13] corporate any agency wants to um either
[01:57:18] open a road, break a pavement, do works
[01:57:21] and so on that they are not only
[01:57:23] obligated to notify but also to seek
[01:57:26] approval um to bear the cost of any um
[01:57:29] of any expenditure in terms of um let's
[01:57:32] say for supervising for for overtime and
[01:57:34] to make that the standard that the
[01:57:36] standard is um is acceptable at the
[01:57:39] corporation. So my question is two tier
[01:57:41] the first being um
[01:57:45] have was provided any explanation for
[01:57:49] commencing work within specifically the
[01:57:52] the Martin um borrow borrow
[01:57:55] corporation and perhaps we could hear
[01:57:56] from another corporation.
[01:57:59] Does WA was
[01:58:01] or or did they give any explanation as
[01:58:04] to why they have continuously commenced
[01:58:07] work in your district without informing
[01:58:10] you?
[01:58:12] chu um not to my knowledge they is I
[01:58:17] believe it's the same thing in most
[01:58:18] corporations um wasa tend to
[01:58:22] deal with the whatever issue they have
[01:58:24] and with such urgency that they usually
[01:58:27] go before informing us
[01:58:30] >> yeah um what steps what steps if any has
[01:58:34] the corporation take um taken with
[01:58:37] regards to especially with the in with
[01:58:40] the with the protections the statuto
[01:58:42] entrenched um provisions um in the
[01:58:45] municipal corporation act that provides
[01:58:48] that the that all state agencies or
[01:58:51] private or private contractors must um
[01:58:54] seek the approval of council in order to
[01:58:57] to do these things. If we have seen a uh
[01:59:01] over the years it has probably even
[01:59:02] become the norm in throughout the
[01:59:05] country where it happens.
[01:59:08] Are any steps being taken
[01:59:11] in this in the short term to enforce the
[01:59:15] corporation's right in rel rights in
[01:59:17] relation to um to the to maintaining the
[01:59:21] the in the the roadways to a standard
[01:59:24] that the corporation would would like in
[01:59:26] relation specific as it relates to wasa
[01:59:28] >> chu um in regards to the wasa situation
[01:59:33] a lot of the times what we do is we kind
[01:59:35] of note whichever um pothole or whatever
[01:59:39] area was awaken in, we um have it listed
[01:59:42] and then we pass the information along
[01:59:44] to um WASA through the regional
[01:59:47] corporation um meeting, regional
[01:59:50] coordinated sorry meeting, right? Um we
[01:59:52] also to note it through our corpse
[01:59:55] obviously to have these things
[01:59:57] documented because these things cost the
[01:59:59] corporation when we have to consistently
[02:00:02] fix um issues that stems from them.
[02:00:07] Um is wasa
[02:00:09] um frequently within the last um let's
[02:00:12] say within the last 3 months um have
[02:00:16] been attending the regional coordinator
[02:00:18] meeting at the matin ball corporation
[02:00:20] >> occasionally
[02:00:21] >> occasionally how can you give an
[02:00:23] estimate in terms of an average whether
[02:00:25] it's once every 3 months um or is it one
[02:00:30] once every six months
[02:00:32] >> you can say 2/3
[02:00:33] >> 2/3 be two for the day right deeply
[02:00:35] grateful Thank you very kindly, Madam
[02:00:37] Chair.
[02:00:40] >> Okay. Thank you very much, Member Marel.
[02:00:42] And I believe that concludes all of the
[02:00:44] questions we have. Sorry. Okay. You may
[02:00:47] proceed.
[02:00:49] >> Thank you, Madame Chair. Um, Madame
[02:00:52] Chair, we would have heard a lot in this
[02:00:54] session this afternoon in terms of
[02:00:57] especially from the PS from the Ministry
[02:01:00] of Works.
[02:01:01] Um so before we leave here this evening
[02:01:04] I would just like to state something.
[02:01:06] The PS mentioned that he has no line
[02:01:09] item with respect to for potholes and so
[02:01:13] on within the corporations right and
[02:01:17] what was what is requested at the
[02:01:18] coordinating meetings. What really
[02:01:21] happens at the coordinating meetings is
[02:01:23] that we do not ask the Ministry of Works
[02:01:26] to fix the roads under the jurisdiction
[02:01:29] of the corporation. What we ask at the
[02:01:32] coordinating meetings is that when
[02:01:35] people bring complaints to us from the
[02:01:37] public or whatever communication is made
[02:01:41] for potholes that exist under their
[02:01:44] jurisdiction,
[02:01:46] those are the requests that are made at
[02:01:48] the coordinating meeting not to fix the
[02:01:50] roads that we are responsible for but
[02:01:53] for for for their what they are
[02:01:55] responsible for. So the line item that
[02:01:58] the PS spoke about is you know we we
[02:02:01] don't we know that so we will ask them
[02:02:03] to fix our local roads we'll be making
[02:02:05] representation for the burgesses for the
[02:02:07] residents on the the roads that they are
[02:02:10] responsible for or for pavements uh
[02:02:12] manhole covers and so on that on the
[02:02:14] main roads that they're responsible for.
[02:02:16] So that is really the what happens at
[02:02:19] the coordinating meeting there where we
[02:02:21] ask of the various agencies um what they
[02:02:24] are responsible for and madame chair
[02:02:26] with respect to the identification of
[02:02:28] the potholes
[02:02:32] is really each electoral district has a
[02:02:34] counselor and the councelor really goes
[02:02:37] through his or her area and brings to
[02:02:39] the council to the attention of the
[02:02:41] council and make requests to fix it. Now
[02:02:44] the reason why not much of the potholes
[02:02:46] are fixed is because of the resources
[02:02:49] and you would know and this this
[02:02:51] committee should know that um with
[02:02:53] respect to recurrent expenditure the
[02:02:55] resources are limited. So when sometimes
[02:02:57] we get 12 or 15 tons um annually
[02:03:03] it doesn't go a long way and then it the
[02:03:06] plateaus continually deteriorate. So
[02:03:08] it's really sometimes the lack of
[02:03:10] resources. So it is important this
[02:03:12] meeting today this is said that we can
[02:03:14] somehow urge the authorities to give us
[02:03:17] a little more um finances with respect
[02:03:19] to recurrent expenditure and this is
[02:03:22] where sometimes the private residents or
[02:03:25] or business people in the area sometime
[02:03:27] decide to assist as um the member was
[02:03:30] saying um in in providing some sort of
[02:03:33] oil sand or maybe some hot mix cold mix
[02:03:37] where now we as the corporation would
[02:03:40] partner with them in terms of providing
[02:03:41] the labor and the machinery and so on
[02:03:44] where they assist in fixing roads in
[02:03:46] front in in various vicinities. So it's
[02:03:49] really you know we have to work as
[02:03:51] limited resources but you know we try to
[02:03:53] work on how best we work together to get
[02:03:55] it done. So we do not really depend too
[02:03:57] much on the as a lot said from the
[02:04:00] ministry of works but it's really
[02:04:02] representation that um under their
[02:04:04] jurisdiction that we are making um such
[02:04:07] requests for. Thank you.
[02:04:08] >> Thank you. The clarification is
[02:04:10] wellreceived. Councelor Sukdeo, I wish
[02:04:14] to now give an opportunity to Mrs.
[02:04:18] Budram. Yes.
[02:04:19] >> Yes, madam chairperson. Regarding to Mr.
[02:04:22] Karim Marcel about WASA and the digging
[02:04:27] up of the roads and all that. In our
[02:04:28] regional meeting, what I had asked the
[02:04:31] wasa reps to do together with each
[02:04:33] counselor, we have 10 counselors in our
[02:04:36] region to form a WhatsApp group. So, and
[02:04:40] together with the officers and our um
[02:04:44] administration in that WhatsApp group
[02:04:47] immediately if the counselors or whoever
[02:04:50] is there see um a pole that was a dog
[02:04:54] and um to to do road restoration
[02:04:57] immediately we will we will put that in
[02:05:00] the chat the group chat and was will
[02:05:03] respond to get that to get that fixed.
[02:05:06] So it wouldn't take a long time that to
[02:05:09] come back again in a regional meeting or
[02:05:11] write a letter to say that you want that
[02:05:14] done. It's instant that they will
[02:05:16] respond the WASO reps will respond to
[02:05:18] that and get it um in our regional
[02:05:21] meeting together with even the ministry
[02:05:24] of works do we form that WhatsApp group
[02:05:27] and potholes all that we send it to that
[02:05:30] to that chat and they respond.
[02:05:33] Madam Madam Chair, if I may, thank you
[02:05:36] very kindly um
[02:05:40] councelor in relation to the in relation
[02:05:43] to um that comment. I think that it's a
[02:05:46] um commendable um step. Let me ask
[02:05:48] concerning the um the WhatsApp group
[02:05:52] concerning the the that initiative with
[02:05:54] the WhatsApp group concerning WhatsApp
[02:05:56] reps and the counselors um can you
[02:05:58] indicate around um when that initiative
[02:06:01] kicked off in terms of that WhatsApp
[02:06:04] >> about two months now.
[02:06:05] >> About two months ago.
[02:06:06] >> Yeah.
[02:06:06] >> All right. Um, now I note that WASA
[02:06:12] would have sent out in the public in the
[02:06:15] um by way of a by way of a memo that was
[02:06:17] that made its way to the to the public
[02:06:20] uh basically
[02:06:23] stream streamlining that any request for
[02:06:27] um concerning any information concerning
[02:06:30] WASA repairs or any works or or any
[02:06:33] stuff or anything of the sort that it
[02:06:36] has to go through the CEO's office and
[02:06:40] then the CEO's office or through
[02:06:42] communications would would you know
[02:06:44] provide that that feedback and and back
[02:06:46] and forth and and and so on. So I'm
[02:06:48] happy to I'm happy to note that you know
[02:06:51] um
[02:06:53] such an arrangement is being um is you
[02:06:56] know is put in place in penal in penal
[02:06:58] DB um with with WA was and the and the
[02:07:01] counselors and perhaps other coun other
[02:07:03] corporation and perhaps other
[02:07:05] corporations here today um based on on
[02:07:08] on that on that precedent might be able
[02:07:10] to um to mirror that in their in their
[02:07:13] corporations and reaching out to us so
[02:07:15] that they can have that effective that
[02:07:17] effective communication ation as well as
[02:07:19] um I suspect um better results as well.
[02:07:23] All right, so that's my my quick comment
[02:07:25] on that.
[02:07:27] >> Okay, thank you very much and thank you
[02:07:29] all for your questions and
[02:07:32] contributions. So now I would invite the
[02:07:35] following Oh, sorry Dr. Chaitan Maj you
[02:07:39] may proceed.
[02:07:41] >> Good evening. um directed to PS's
[02:07:46] um after hearing everything from this
[02:07:49] evening's contributions can I ask
[02:07:51] through you chair most likely would have
[02:07:53] to be in writing but just for
[02:07:56] completeness um a list of roads paved
[02:07:59] under pure um and if it could be
[02:08:01] disagregated by municipality
[02:08:05] >> yeah and do you have a period for three
[02:08:08] question
[02:08:09] >> okay
[02:08:11] Okay. And on that note, I wish to inform
[02:08:15] all corporations that you can expect
[02:08:18] requests coming for from us to you for
[02:08:21] written responses based on today's
[02:08:24] contributions. Yes. I will now invite
[02:08:28] the following persons to make brief
[02:08:30] closing remarks and we will start with
[02:08:34] Mr. Ian Ramden, permanent secretary of
[02:08:37] the Ministry of Works and
[02:08:39] Infrastructure. 30 seconds to one
[02:08:42] minute. Thank you,
[02:08:44] >> Madam Chair. Tru um like to thank um
[02:08:47] this committee for giving the Ministry
[02:08:48] of Works infrastructure the opportunity
[02:08:51] to provide clarification and insight in
[02:08:53] terms of the work program. Um
[02:08:57] the the financial situation is such that
[02:08:59] um you know there's limited resources.
[02:09:02] Um we are trying to beef up back the
[02:09:05] in-house capacity to do work internally,
[02:09:08] right? Um you would see things like we
[02:09:11] not using compactors anymore to compact
[02:09:13] the road why where get hump the reason
[02:09:15] because they're not using the rollers
[02:09:18] you know so we we changing our approach
[02:09:20] to say that we will not be using
[02:09:21] compactors using rollers so you won't
[02:09:23] see us you'll see a smoother road rather
[02:09:24] than a hump okay changing the standard
[02:09:27] so we um procedures in ter how to repair
[02:09:29] the potholes in ter ask the departments
[02:09:31] to write write up these and share it
[02:09:33] with the um local government so that we
[02:09:36] have a standard procedure u we work at
[02:09:38] WASA to minimize their um
[02:09:42] uncoordinated repairs and make sure that
[02:09:44] it's supervised by the Ministry of Works
[02:09:46] so that it's properly repaired. Um
[02:09:49] ultimately we want to reduce the burden
[02:09:50] on taxpayers to come back and fix
[02:09:52] something and keep spending money on you
[02:09:55] know repairing potholes, potholes and
[02:09:56] road rehabilitation and let the road
[02:09:58] last for like five six years without
[02:09:59] damage.
[02:10:01] So that that's the objective and and um
[02:10:04] ultimately help the state in um you know
[02:10:07] apply those those resources elsewhere.
[02:10:09] So we we try to improve our processes
[02:10:11] and we're working with the original
[02:10:13] corporation very closely and um we'll
[02:10:15] see how best we can help them with the
[02:10:16] hot mix.
[02:10:18] >> Thank you very much Mr. Ramden.
[02:10:21] And I would next invite his worship
[02:10:24] mayor Dudnat Meu.
[02:10:34] Thank you very much for the opportunity.
[02:10:36] I want to say thank you very much for
[02:10:37] giving us the opportunity so that we can
[02:10:40] look forward to some relief coming from
[02:10:42] the ministry of works with to assist the
[02:10:45] regional corporations throughout the
[02:10:47] country. I know the PS say that um
[02:10:49] funding is a bit of a issue but we have
[02:10:51] to find way of managing the resources
[02:10:54] effectively and make sure that we close
[02:10:57] that gap where there is theft and we
[02:10:59] lose materials and so on that's supposed
[02:11:01] to go to fix the road for John public.
[02:11:03] So I'm looking forward to some relief
[02:11:05] coming in the very near future and thank
[02:11:07] you again once for the opportunity.
[02:11:10] >> You're most welcome and thank you. Now I
[02:11:13] invite councelor Richard Sukdeo
[02:11:20] Thank you madame chair. Um again as my
[02:11:23] colleague would have stated there um we
[02:11:25] are grateful for this opportunity and
[02:11:27] that we can come here and that we can
[02:11:29] explain and really hear from different
[02:11:33] members uh matters that affect the
[02:11:35] corporation and also more importantly to
[02:11:38] hear from the members of the committee
[02:11:40] um their concerns, their expectations
[02:11:44] and this is a good forum where we can
[02:11:47] interchange and exchange our ideas,
[02:11:49] exchange um how we really deal good
[02:11:51] things at the corporation and um but we
[02:11:54] do hope that at the end of the session
[02:11:56] that our challenges our constraints um
[02:12:00] would be understood in areas that where
[02:12:03] there may be seem to have shortcomings
[02:12:05] in our delivery of services but rest
[02:12:08] assured um madame chair and members of
[02:12:10] the committee um the shagonas
[02:12:12] corporation is doing all within its
[02:12:14] capacity with the limited resources and
[02:12:16] so on to provide the necessary service
[02:12:19] um our road rehabilitation
[02:12:21] and maintenance is only second to the um
[02:12:24] scavenging cleaning the the those
[02:12:27] service there and we stress on it a lot
[02:12:29] because we have a lot of vehicle with
[02:12:32] sometimes not too new cars in the
[02:12:34] Shagona's vicinity which um these
[02:12:36] potholes can create a lot of damages and
[02:12:39] so on but we are working on it and we
[02:12:41] are hoping that um we improve on the
[02:12:43] situation by providing those services
[02:12:45] with our resources. Thank you.
[02:12:48] >> Thank you councelor Sugo. Next we have
[02:12:50] Mr. Maddu Balup, acting technical
[02:12:54] officer at the Ministry of Rural
[02:12:56] Development and Local Government.
[02:13:00] Madame Chair, honorable members of the
[02:13:02] committee, uh on behalf of the Ministry
[02:13:05] of Rural Development and Local
[02:13:06] Government, I would like to express our
[02:13:09] sincere appreciation for the opportunity
[02:13:11] to participate in today's proceedings.
[02:13:14] We value the observations,
[02:13:15] recommendations and guidance provided by
[02:13:17] the committee and remain committed to
[02:13:20] strengthening our operations and
[02:13:21] ensuring the efficient and or the
[02:13:24] efficient implementation of our programs
[02:13:26] and projects in service to the people of
[02:13:29] Trinad and Tobago. I would also like to
[02:13:31] thank the committee for the constructive
[02:13:34] engagement and the opportunity to
[02:13:36] provide clarification on matters within
[02:13:39] the ministry's remmit. Should any
[02:13:42] additional information be required, the
[02:13:45] ministry will make every effort to
[02:13:46] provide the requested details in a
[02:13:48] timely manner. Thank you.
[02:13:51] >> Thank you, Mr. Balrook. Next, we have
[02:13:54] Mr. Elon Edwards, work supervisor 2 at
[02:13:56] the Arma Borrow Corporation.
[02:13:59] >> Thank you, Madame Chair. Um really on
[02:14:02] behalf of the ARMA BA Corporation, I'd
[02:14:04] really like to thank you all for this
[02:14:06] session today and would just like to
[02:14:08] reiterate that you know finance is a
[02:14:10] major issue whether it's for the
[02:14:12] materials or for the equipment for us to
[02:14:14] be able to be efficient and effective at
[02:14:16] the road packing. I know that all the
[02:14:18] corporations share the same sentiment,
[02:14:20] but you know, it's really to employ that
[02:14:22] it's a a very serious thing to take into
[02:14:24] consideration. Everything that we spoke
[02:14:26] about today is is really critical to to
[02:14:30] assisting with making the the roads much
[02:14:32] more feasible for travelers. Thank you
[02:14:34] very much.
[02:14:36] >> Thank you very much. And now I invite
[02:14:39] Mr. Akil Solomon, engineering and survey
[02:14:42] officer at the Digo Martin Regional
[02:14:44] Corporation. Madame Chair, honorable
[02:14:46] members of the committee, on behalf of
[02:14:48] Diggo Martin Borrow Corporation, sincere
[02:14:50] appreciation is extended for the
[02:14:52] opportunity to participate in this
[02:14:54] inquiry. The discussions today have
[02:14:56] highlighted both progre, both the
[02:14:58] progress made and the challenges faced
[02:15:00] in delivery of road repair and
[02:15:02] maintenance services. The corporation
[02:15:04] remains committed to improving service
[02:15:07] delivery through effective planning,
[02:15:09] accountability, and collaboration. The
[02:15:11] insight gained through the process will
[02:15:13] undoubtedly contribute to the strengthen
[02:15:15] local government and enhancing the
[02:15:18] quality of life of all our citizens.
[02:15:21] Thank you for your time and
[02:15:22] consideration and commitment on this
[02:15:24] matter.
[02:15:26] >> Thank you Mr. Solomon. I now invite Mrs.
[02:15:28] Shantzi Budram, vice chairman of the
[02:15:30] Penal D Regional Corporation.
[02:15:33] >> Thank you Madame Chair and our esteemed
[02:15:35] committee members. On behalf of the
[02:15:37] Penal Dia Regional Corporation, I extend
[02:15:40] our deepest appreciation for the
[02:15:43] opportunity to engage in this inquiry
[02:15:45] and to share our perspectives on road
[02:15:48] repairs and maintenance. This dialogue
[02:15:51] has reinforced the importance of
[02:15:54] collaboration between local and national
[02:15:57] stakeholders in advancing the quality of
[02:16:00] service delivery to our services. It is
[02:16:03] through engagement such as these that we
[02:16:06] uphold the principles of transparency
[02:16:10] and accountability and charter path
[02:16:13] toward a stronger future for our
[02:16:15] communities and our country. Thank you
[02:16:17] madam chair.
[02:16:19] >> Thank you Miss Bjam. And to end we
[02:16:22] invite Miss Nikesh Graham, city engineer
[02:16:24] of the San Fernando City Corporation.
[02:16:28] >> Um thank you through you chair. Um,
[02:16:31] chairman, I would like to say on behalf
[02:16:33] of the San Fernando City Corporation
[02:16:35] that I had reservations with respect to
[02:16:39] the invitation and yet I am so pleased
[02:16:44] with the deliberations
[02:16:46] and the information that has been
[02:16:49] provided and I am honored to have the
[02:16:52] opportunity to contribute as well. Um I
[02:16:55] am hopeful for the future that we can
[02:16:58] work together ministries with ministries
[02:17:03] um
[02:17:04] the other government agencies, Ministry
[02:17:07] of Works and Infrastructure. We are
[02:17:11] excited to have the opportunity to
[02:17:13] collaborate with each other so that we
[02:17:16] can do better for our country. Um, I am
[02:17:20] hopeful that the corporations because we
[02:17:24] have a responsibility. We have workers
[02:17:27] that are committed to doing works for
[02:17:30] our country and for our areas that we
[02:17:33] have jurisdiction over. And if we could
[02:17:36] also have a line item, well I'm saying
[02:17:38] line item, a vote that is specific to
[02:17:42] the mobile patching then maybe that can
[02:17:46] also be something that would help and
[02:17:49] assist in terms of the speed in which
[02:17:52] works could be facilitated um within our
[02:17:56] jurisdiction. So thank you so much once
[02:17:58] again and safe travel to everyone.
[02:18:02] Thank you, Miss Graham. And thank you to
[02:18:05] all officials present here today for
[02:18:07] your attendance and your invaluable
[02:18:10] contributions to today's proceedings. I
[02:18:14] also wish to thank the committee members
[02:18:17] for your usual support and participation
[02:18:21] and of course to the support that we
[02:18:24] receive from the staff of the office of
[02:18:26] the parliament for their professional
[02:18:29] procedural and logistical support and
[02:18:33] thank you to the viewing and listening
[02:18:35] audience. This meeting is now adjourned.