Newly sworn in Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan, who officially took up duty yesterday, says he has no intention of taking over the jobs of the technocrats. Instead, he will be ensuring that there is accountability, transparency and no wastage of taxpayers’ money.
“I am guided by the technocrats. The Government has its policy in place with regards to infrastructure and new developments and new projects and completing the existing projects,” Sinanan said yesterday.
Sinanan, who met with several officials at the ministry’s head office at Richmond Street, Port-of Spain, said he was looking forward to his new portfolio, but added that former minister Fitzgerald Hinds, now the new Public Utilities Minister, had paved the way for him, making his job “much easier.”
“The first year sitting in this ministry would have been a very big challenge for Minister Hinds...trying to put the structures back in line to get proper accountability back in line.
“I think I’m just going to take the mantle from him and press on with what is required,” Sinanan said.
Saying the ministry could not be run from “just inside the office,” Sinanan said he intended to go out on the field and talk to members of the public, especially, regarding their needs.
“Actually, I want to have a hands-on approach as to what is going on but I want to reiterate that I am not going to take over any job that is the responsibility of the technocrats,” he said.
“My job is to make sure that the Government policy is adhered to in the shortest and quickest possible time. My job is also to make sure we complete the old projects, start the new projects, and everything must be properly accounted for where citizens would get value for money.”
Hinds, who was also on hand, officially congratulated Sinanan. Hinds admitted he had faced some challenges when he took the ministry last year, including that of human resources, logistics and finances, which he described as the “most significant of them all.”
“I managed this very giant ministry and now I go to the new challenges in Public Utilities and I will approach it with the same blueprint, but I anticipate no unusual challenges,” Hinds said.
On whether the proposed controversial Curepe overpass project would begin, Sinanan said he will meet with members of the Highways Division to determine the best way forward.
The proposed project had been singled out by former minister in the ministry of works, Stacy Roopnarine, who had sent an e-mail to then prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on September 4, 2014, alleging that there had been interference by former works minister Suruj Rambachan in the National Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (Nidco) board’s business.
It was alleged Rambachan was peddling his influence to have the first-ranked bidder, Vinci Construction, struck off in favour of Lutchmeesingh’s Transport Contractors Ltd. But Persad-Bissessar has since said in Parliament that she had enquired and found nothing awry in the bidding process.