Planning Minister Dr Bhoe Tewarie says T&T's worsened corruption rating will not affect the economy but noted that it's cause for concern. "Of course we are concerned," Tewarie said in response to questions from the media on Friday. "We should be going the other way...The objective is to go up, not down." According to the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index 2011, T&T placed 91 from a list of 183 countries. In 2010, T&T was ranked 73 out of 178 countries. Tewarie said the perception of corruption that led to the lower rating surrounds issues that predate the existing Government and also include some that relate to the present administration.
Chairman of the T&T Transparency Institute Richard Joseph said the non-implementation of the recommendations of the UFF inquiry into the construction sector was one issue that contributed to the perception of corruption. The present Government had promised on the 2010 general election campaign trail to implement the recommendations of the inquiry which was set up during the last PNM administration. The delaying of the enactment of public sector procurement legislation and the continued presence of Works Minister Jack Warner, former FIFA vice-president, in the Government were other factors that reportedly worsened the corruption rating, Joseph said.
Asked if the greater perception of corruption would affect the economy, Tewarie said: "It will not affect the economy." He added, however: "I will be very blunt and frank...We should be going the other way." Tewarie said he would ensure that any role that he had to play in the public sector procurement committee would be to his best ability. The minister spoke to the media at his Ministry's Eric Williams Financial Building office where Dr Thackwray Sebastian Driver was introduced as the new chairman of the Economic Development Board (EDB).
Driver replaced Ken Gordon who was appointed chairman of the Integrity Commission and said he hoped that the EDB would be a shining light in ethical behaviour. Board member Dr Patrick Watson, an econometrician, said he was not sure the worsened perception of corruption would be a great impediment to investors. He said the price of oil and the growth of China would be more important questions for them. Tewarie said members of the board were very carefully selected and said it was a very important one in terms of the development of the country.
An important mandate of the EDB is to recommend selection criteria for public investment projects. Tewarie said the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP) fell under the Planning Ministry and they had been trying to align it very strategically with government policy. The PSIP constitutes $7.5 billion of government expenses for 2011/2012. Tewarie said the board planned to hold consultations with communities across T&T from which a civil society board would be formed to work with the EDB.
Members of the EDB
• Dr Thackwray Sebastian Driver - chairman
• Ian De Souza
• Gail Sooknarine-Ragoo
• Dr Patrick Watson
• Kazim Boodoo
• Bruce McKenzie
• Ayegoro Ome
• Maurice Suite - representative of the Ministry of Finance
• Peter Mitchell- representative of the Ministry of Planning and the Economy