Moonilal: Govt committed to stamping out corruption

Housing and the Environment Minister, Roodal Moonilal, says the People’s Partnership Government is committed to stamping out corruption in T&T. Moonilal was speaking during an address at yesterday’s anti-corruption conference hosted by the T&T Transparency Institute at the Trinidad Hilton. Moonilal also gave more details about the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). He said the EITI’s international board of directors has set August 28, 2013 as the date for T&T to achieve EITI Compliant Country Status. Moonilal said when T&T became EITI compliant, “we expect our investment to improve, political and reputational risks will be mitigated and there will be more information on revenues in the public domain.”

Moonilal said: “The EITI will create an environment for a reduction in corruption in Trinidad and Tobago by making our Government more accountable for revenue flows from the extractive sector.” He said the 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) ranked T&T 73rd of the 178 countries assessed. Moonilal said the index captured information about the administrative and political aspects of corruption, including bribery of public officials, ‘kickbacks’ in public procurement, embezzlement of public funds and the strength and effectiveness of the public sector anti-corruption efforts. Moonilal said a Joint Select Committee was appointed to consider and report on the legislative proposal to provide for public procurement and disposal of public property together with legislative proposal to repeal and replace the Central Tenders Board Act. Moonilal said the Ministry of Finance, in examining the procurement practices of State Enterprises, had introduced the e-Auction initiative.