Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath said CEPEP must be reformed into a sustainable entity that empowers the people and communities of Trinidad and Tobago. He added that a new process for contractor registration will be implemented in the near future.

Speaking at a media conference at the UNC’s headquarters on Mulchan Seuchan Road, Chaguanas, he defended the termination of CEPEP contractors on Friday, which left over 10,000 workers unemployed.

Asked whether it would not have been better to audit the programme and retain the contractors to avoid displacing so many workers, he said: