OPPOSITION Senator Dominic Fedee has criticized government for rushing to repair schools ahead of the new academic year and also slammed government for allocating $ 5.4 million to finance these repairs.
During his contribution to the Upper House on Thursday, Fedee said the amount was far from adequate, and that the United Workers Party (at one point) during its time in government had allocated $ 10 million dollars for school repairs.
According to the senator, “repairing schools in the summer months have been a mixed bag between administrations. When I sat in the Cabinet we met a situation where the previous administration had allocated a million dollars to… repair over a hundred schools… we realized that a budget of a million dollars is really going to add up to less than $ XCD 1000.00 on a monthly basis for schools.”
Fedee said that there were situations “where roofs were leaking… mold infestation, fencing problems, and so the United Workers Party at the time… sought to increase the allocation. The records show… that we actually invested as much as ten million dollars in the refurbishment of various secondary schools. In Anse La Raye we had to completely repair the roof… a $250, 00.00 project, if (one) million was the budget just imagine how incapable that would have been.”
Prime Minister Philip J Pierre recently tabled a resolution in parliament to transfer $5.4 million from the Consolidated Fund to the Contingencies Fund to finance refurbishment works and repairs to school plants around the island. But Fedee, during his contribution to parliament, said that there should be a “more wholesome comprehensive programme.”
Said Fedee: “The ten million we were spending was clearly not enough now this government is coming (with) five million dollars. They have significantly reduced the allocation and now… they’re using… the Contingency Fund… the last minute after school has been closed since the 7th of July.
The hurricane happened in the month of June and so now these engineers from the Ministry they’ve got to… try to mobilize contractors to do the works for the respective schools. They’re (going to) be in a mad rush to get the school plants ready as we get ready to open schools (on) the (fourth) of September…”
The senator said it was complete mismanagement on the part of government and that the implications that “this is (going to) have on the quality of the work is left to be seen.”
He noted that a number of schools are still dealing with issues like mold infestation and broken furniture and said $5.4 million will not cover all that is required.
“Five million… is just a drop in the bucket and it’s not going to adequately solve the situation… You reduced the budget… in the middle of an inflation crisis… you’re spending half the money this is not impressive at all,” Fedee said.