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PORT OF SPAIN NORTH/St Ann’s West MP Stuart Young has questioned an $82,000 increase in electricity allowances at the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries in the budget. During the Standing Finance Committee’s fifth and final sitting in the House of Representatives on October 25, Young questioned if the increase was linked to the establishment of offices for Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal and junior minister Ernesto Kesar in south Trinidad. The increase was listed under the sub-head, goods and services – general administration. Young, a former energy minister, said, “The information we have is that on the arrival of the two ministers at the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, the ministers have asked that additional offices be set up for them in the south of Trinidad and that they are now running two offices, both for yourself and for your junior minister, at the cost of the taxpayers.” He asked, “So looking under this, at line item 0204, electricity, I see an increase of $82,000. Is that so that yourself and your junior minister can have offices in south Trinidad as well?” Moonilal responded, “What you have against south? Young shot back, shouting, “I have absolutely nothing against south. It is a question being asked. There is a Ministry of Energy at the towers here and now there are offices being set up for you all in south Trinidad. I am asking a question, ‘Is this additional electricity to fund your offices in the south of Trinidad?’ “I don’t care if you have offices in Tobago, I want to know, on behalf of the taxpayers, if this additional cost is because you have an office now in south Trinidad. Yes or no?” At this point, Speaker Jagdeo Singh interjected, “There is no need to shout the questions. We have microphones and we are about not more than 15 feet apart.” Moonilal said the money was to cater to arrears to TTEC, “from the arrears left by the member for Port of Spain North and St Ann’s West. “He did not pay his light bill and that is what the increase is for. If he had paid his bills and not run away without paying we would not have an increase here.” He continued, “Could I just for the record, because I believe that mischief is afoot, the south offices, there has always been the office of the Ministry of Energy in San Fernando and the member may not have been familiar with the offices in south Trinidad and what has happened is that we have now made accommodation for both ministers to conduct business and to meet the players in the energy sector in south, which is much more convenient for many folks instead of coming into Port of Spain with traffic and wasting time to and from. “So it is for the convenience of the sector and the stakeholders who appreciate that they can now see one of two ministers at the drop of a hat to conduct business.” Young asked, “So the answer is ‘yes’ at a cost to taxpayers?” Moonilal said there was no new cost. Young was not satisfied with his response. “You have just said that they have now expanded because there were not two minsters of energy before.” He said he understood Moonilal’s anxiety “because the truth is that they have increased the cost.” Young also questioned an increase in rent of $150,000 under line item, office accommodation and storage. “There was one office for a minister before in Port of Spain, there are now four offices, two in Port of Spain and two in San Fernando, where we all know there was a Ministry of Energy at all times. What is this increase of rent of $150,000 for?” Moonilal said the increase was to pay arrears of rent owed. “This has nothing to do with new rental for new offices. The offices were there already and the former administration, the former minister, failed to pay the bill for rent.” Young responded, “The former minister never renovated his office the way you have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars renovating offices now. And, if you are unaware, all of the major players in the energy sector are in Port of Spain.”
