The National Maintenance Training and Security’s (MTS) biggest challenge is the debts owed to MTS, which stand at $620 million – of which the Education Ministry is the largest debtor, owing $350 million.
Chief executive officer of MTS Lennox Rattansingh said this yesterday when officials were interviewed by the Parliament’s Public Accounts Enterprises Committee (PAEC) headed by UNC Senator Wade Mark.
Rattansingh said MTS was profitable, doesn’t receive a subvention and has 6,000-plus employees with more women in security than men. Revenue was $550 million and he projected more would be gained based on project management. MTS is also targeting the private sector.
But he said receivables owed to MTS by other agencies were $715 million in 2021. And it’s $620 million now, since $100 million was received in 2022. He said that was a positive sign.
The largest debtors are: the Education Ministry (owing $350 million), Judiciary ($92m), TTPS ($32m), Tobago House of Assembly ( $14m) and the HDC ($14m).
MTS chairman Jackie Lazarus has said the Education Ministry was a critical MTS client in terms of the overall welfare of society associated with MTS’ work with that ministry.
Finance Ministry’s Ryan Maharaj (Investment ) agreed with Lazarus, adding the Education Ministry had to get help from the Ministry of Finance to liquidate the debt.
Any shortfall is supplemented in the mid-year review, he added.
But PAEC member Rushton Paray, who commended MTS’ work in Mayaro and in hiring women, felt Finance had a rudimentary approach and “no teeth” in the matter.
Rattansingh said MTS, governed by the manual for state entities, couldn’t take legal action against government agencies. He said MTS once entered an arrangement with HDC but it wasn’t adhered to.
“We are talking to HDC as the matter concerns us deeply,” he said.
MTS writes debtors and gets acknowledgement from most clients, he added.
Permanent secretary Nicolette Duke, of MTS’ line Ministry (Public Utilities), said the ministry lobbies agencies to pay MTS.
PAEC member Keith Scotland recommended the MTS be given the ability to recover receivables on the cusp of being statute-barred.
Rattansingh said monies received are mostly for salaries, which are $500m annually.
The MTS finished repairing 12 schools for the Ministry of Education and is doing more in phases. It’s refurbishing community centres for digitisation and has the contract to move the Communication Ministry from Morvant to the Prime Minister’s Office in Port-of-Spain.
Other challenges Rattansingh cited were negotiations for administrative, technical and managerial staff who hadn’t got an increase since 2010.
MTS is also awaiting approval from the Chief Personnel Officer on this.
Another challenge is the “uneven playing field” of competition where “everyone with a mop or broom is a janitorial company,” he added.
Rattansingh said during the pandemic, 4,000 staff members came out to work as essential services.