Click to view full size

The Government has confirmed a pilot programme called a National Programme for the Upkeep of Public Spaces to be rolled out from December 15, 2025, to March 13, 2026.

It falls under the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government whose line minister, Khadijah Ameen, has promised strict attendance monitoring, performance checks and financial controls. She is adamant this is not another incarnation of the make-work programmes created by the People’s National Movement (PNM).

Dr Sheila Rampersad concludes a tracing of the history of these programmes based on a series of interviews with the late political historian Ferdie Ferreira.