Local Government Minister Franklin Khan says audits for other regional corporations will begin at week's end.
He made the comment yesterday following the court appearances on Monday of four Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation (CTTRC) employees on corruption charges.
Speaking to reporters at a Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (Cariri's) seminar, Khan said the allegations were a cause for concern.
"Four officers from the CTTRC, public servants I might add, have been charged with accusations of corruption and I don't want to comment on that in any detail because it is before the courts but it really does not look good in terms of the corporation and its management."
While he declined to say which of the other 13 regional corporations would be audited, Khan said he had started the ball rolling.
"It is something we have heard of a lot in the local government reform consultation, that there are instances of possible corruption in the corporations and I have requested the permanent secretary to conduct audits in the specific corporations that I will not name right now, to see if this thing is more widespread than we think. The audit will start later this week by internal auditors from the Ministry of Local Government," he added.
With local government reform aimed at giving greater autonomy to the corporations coming, Khan said Central Government would have to keep a close eye on the situation.
During his feature address, Khan told those present from the corporations that they must take their jobs as accounting officers seriously.
"Those of you who are public officers and are accountable for state resources, take that job seriously.
"During local government reform consultation, which was strange to me, most of the accusations of corruption were not levelled against the councils, it comes to the administration, because you are the guys that effect the work and you are the ones who sign the documents that the work is certified correct and done, etc.
"It is your names that sign on the cheques. At the end of the day, if an investigation has to take place it is not the council or the chairman, it's not the mayor. The only cheque the mayor could sign is from the Mayor's Fund," he said.
Revealing that Cabinet had approved $100 million for rural development last week, Khan called for quality assurance on all future projects.
"Quality assurance must be applied at every step of the process, from the tendering process to the planning and execution of the work and detailed assessments before certification is approved.
"Quality assurance is so important. Something has gone fundamentally wrong, both in terms of our cost estimate, our project and contract management," he said.
Questioning the high costs attached to projects, Khan said the ministry needed to come back down to basics.
"All of a sudden, everything in Trinidad costs $100 million. You look at some of these projects and ask yourself what is it in these projects that cost $100 million? You look at a contract that has been awarded for $10 million to build a retaining wall and you ask yourself the question, where is this money going? We have to come back down to basics," he added.