Payment of NSO and Carifesta creditors not a priority

It would seem that the creditors of the After School Program (NSO) and Carifesta ;I (2013) will not receive their money any time soon. The payment of these bills is not being considered a priority and has therefore been scrapped from the budget. Both programs have been linked to corruption scandals and the members of the opposition have once again urged the government to call the attorney general.

Education, Science and Culture (OWC) Minister Robert Peneux told parliament on Monday that the Central Audit Department (CLAD) has been instructed to screen the facts of the evaluation report on the NSO. MP Mahinder Jogi (VHP) and MP Chandrikapersad Santokhi (VHP) both claim that the report has enough information to ask the attorney general to launch an investigation. ³Nothing is keeping him from taking the report to the AG. If the MP can’t wait, he should get in his car right now and take it to the AG,” said MP Andre Misiekaba (NDP) as he referred to MP Jogi. MP Jogi kept insisting that the AG should be notified. Minister Peneux explained that he could only take certain steps after the CLAD has officially screened the report.

The government had reportedly put aside SRD 2 million for the payment of its NSO debts and SRD 15 million for the payment of its Carifesta debts. Both figures have been brought to zero. Minister Peneux made it clear that his hands were tied and that he could not address the delay in payments issue at this point. His ministry reportedly has not received any money for this purpose.