Government will be paying $15 million to feed the prison system’s 3,700 prisoners in 2018, just as it did in 2017, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon confirmed yesterday.
He gave the figures during yesterday’s Standing Finance Committee scrutiny of the 2018 Budget led by Opposition MPs’ questioning. He said the 3,700 figure includes those in Remand Yard. Budget figures showed the state had to pay the same $15 million figure for prisoners’ food as it has allocated for 2018.
Dillon confirmed, however, that there has been a $3.5million reduction in the food bill for the T&T Regiment and a decrease of $500,000 for the Coast Guard’s food bill which he attributed to better management of resources.
Dillon said the renewal of the contract for the firm which does TT passports is currently being examined by Cabinet. Concerns were expressed in the budget debate about the long time it is taking to get passports. UNC MP Rudy Indarsingh had said an expediting fee is now necessary if someone needed a passport urgently.
Dillon confirmed that $8 million is being allocated for overtime payments for Immigration officers—especially at Piarco Airport. He said this was due to the combined high absenteeism level of some as well as vacant posts.
He said Immigration has 366 officers and there are 203 vacancies. There are also 494 vacant posts in the Fire Services and 180 posts for Life Guards.
Dillon confirmed there have been appeals on the process to obtain firearms licences. But he said the process hasn’t changed and the Police Commissioner still has sole discretion for this.
He admitted the Government needed to have four pathologists at the Forensic Science Centre and a recruitment drive is on for permanent pathologists after Dr Valery Alexandrov’s departure. He said scholarships in this field are being awarded.
UNC MPs expressed concern that while funding cuts will affect youth programmes like National Training Service and Military Led Youth Programme of Apprenticeship and Reorientation Training(MYPART) and academic programmes (MYLART), the Strategic Services Agency (SSA) received a $2 million increase.
Dillon said based on economic conditions cuts have to be made.