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WITH the hurricane season already in full swing, Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) director Allan Stewart admits the agency is hamstrung by several challenges that are preventing it from carrying out its mandate more efficiently.

Asked if TEMA is fully prepared for the season, Stewart told Newsday on June 13, “Yes, but we have seen better years in terms of our preparation. There are challenges which we are coping with, vehicle fleet, things like that, the ability to procure things in a fast way. It’s very difficult given the type of procurement structure that exists. So we have our challenges.”

But he said TEMA, as it has done in the past, would continue to fulfil its mandate with the resources that were available to the agency.