Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Khadijah Ameen has issued a response to what she describes as alarming revelations about widespread corruption and political interference in the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) under the former PNM administration.

Ameen added:

“Of the $300 million allocated to URP for this fiscal year, a staggering $231 million has already been drawn down, yet only $2 million has been spent on actual goods and services. The overwhelming majority of funds were used for payroll, with hundreds of names receiving salaries without performing any work or performing any duties.

Among the worst examples:
• A daughter of a senior PNM official is currently studying abroad at a foreign university and still receiving a URP salary.
• Several other individuals are similarly listed as employees while living overseas or not reporting to work at all.
• Ghost gangs are being operated by political insiders, where names are submitted for payment and workers receive only a portion of the funds while the rest is pocketed by “gang bosses.”

The former government has serious questions to answer. Minister Ameen says, since the change in government, a number of ghost employees have been quietly resigning, suggesting they were aware of the wrongdoing.

Minister Ameen described the lead-up to the General Election as a feeding frenzy within URP, with overspending and over hiring of PNM party associates. Further, over 500 URP work groups originally assigned to Tobago have been removed and reallocated to six regions along the East-
West Corridor — areas considered marginal seats by the PNM thus depriving Tobago and redirecting resources for their campaign with tax payers’ dollars.

This is not only abuse of state funds, it is an insult to the unemployed men and women across the country who genuinely needed unemployment relief. Minister Ameen said it is atrocious that we have this level of corruption while the unemployment rate amongst the population skyrocketed under the PNM.

The Minister says that the UNC government remains committed to fixing this broken system.
• We will create real jobs for genuinely unemployed people.
• We will root out corruption to end the wastage of taxpayers’ money.
• We will ensure resources go to those who truly need it.

When we are asked where we will find the money to support the people of this country, the answer is simple — we will find it by cutting corruption. The money exists. The country has been forced into unnecessary hardship and brutal taxation under the PNM while public funds were being siphoned off to family, friends and activists.

Minister Khadijah Ameen is focused on plugging the leaks in the system to deal with the real needs of the people. Every dollar saved by ending fraud and mismanagement will go towards meaningful employment, not political payoffs.