Padarath: PM wants no excuses in 2026

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, front left, with Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath and other Cabinet ministers at the UNC Christmas dinner in Couva on December 13. - UNC

GOVERNMENT ministers are ready to act on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar's clarion call for all hands on deck in 2026.

Addressing a UNC fundraising Christmas dinner, in Couva, on December 13, Persad-Bissessar declared 2026 will be a decisive year for Trinidad and Tobago and the UNC.

She alerted UNC MPs, senators, activists and members in no uncertain terms there will be a lot of work for all of them to do to deliver on the mandate the party received from the population when it won the April 28 general election.

"Brace your back. We have a lot of work to do in the new year," she said.

Persad-Bissessar gave no details about the work or the challenges which she was referring to.

Her statement came as no surprise to Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath, Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal, Works and Infrastructure Minister Jearlean John and Housing Minister David Lee. Moonilal, John and Lee are also UNC deputy political leaders.

Padarath said, "The Prime Minister's statement was timely and welcomed. It sets the tone for the new year."

He added, "The Prime Minister runs a tight ship. When it comes to work, she is a hard task master."

Before his current ministerial responsibilities, Padarath has worked with Persad-Bissessar, in and out of government.

He was an aide to her in the Basdeo Panday administration (1995-2001) when she served as attorney general and education minister during that period. During Persad-Bissessar's first stint as prime minister (May 24, 2010-September 7, 2015), Padarath worked as an advisor in the OPM. He was Princes Town MP from September 23, 2015-March 18, 2025 when the UNC was in opposition and Persad-Bissessar was opposition leader.

"Working closely with her, I understand her drive for greater delivery and efficiency."

He said, "Prime Minister doesn't take excuses from ministers. She pushes us to keep deadlines and promises."

Padarath added, "Her priority continues to be delivered."

In the past eight months, he continued, "We have kept many specific promises that we made to the electorate because of the persistence and leadership of the Prime Minister."

Padarath said, "The Prime Minister continues to have a very hands-on approach towards governance."

Padarath: Expect water projects

In 2026, he disclosed public utilities will embark on major water projects particularly.

"Three desalinated water plants in Moruga, Mayaro, and Charlotteville (in Tobago)." On January 12, the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election will take place.

Padarath said these projects " will bring tremendous relief to many parts of both islands."

He added, "Further, we look forward to passing landmark legislation to address the long outstanding beverage container and recycling bill."

Padarath also said during the course of next year, the ministry will address systematic changes in entities such as Powergen and TT Electricity Commission (T&TEC).

"More will be said at the appropriate time."

Moonilal said, "The Prime Minister alerted us yet again to the enormity of the challenge we face after almost a decade of incompetence and destruction by the former PNM administration of Rowley, Young and Beckles."

He added, "I am aware that a lot of the work to climb out of the inherited economic decline will fall on the Ministry of Energy and on my not too slender shoulders."

John said Persad-Bissessar's daily functions "loosely mirror those of a high-level executive or managing director in a large organisation."

Persad-Bissessar and the UNC, she continued, inherited a mess from the PNM in every single sector of the economy.

John said Persad-Bissessar "is perfectly within her right to be unrelentless, unambiguous, clear and direct in outlining her objectives and expectations of the team she leads."

She added Persad-Bissessar's directive is "signalling the scope of the challenge, and the major effort it will take from all of us to get TT from where we are to where we ought to be."

John said her ministry has a long list of deliveries.

"However the output will be an unprecedented effort in the area of repair, restoration, rehabilitation and maintenance of our road, bridges, rivers, infrastructure."

John said, "This has commenced. We intend to be the catalyst for a clean, neat, orderly environment."

Lee said, "More work is needed to fix back this country based on the neglect from the last administration. I welcome more work to make this country great again."

He promised his ministry and its agencies will do their part to deliver on the instructions given by Persad-Bissessar.

"We will be delivering big in 2026. We have been restructuring HDC (Housing Development Corporation) over the past few months , which has been very problematic based on what the new board inherited."

Persad-Bissessar's statement comes against a background of Moody's and Standard and Poors (S&P) both revising TT's economic outlook from stable to negative, an ongoing state of emergency (SoE) declared in July, permission granted to US military flights to use TT's airports for an unspecified period of time as US-Venezuela tensions in the Caribbean continue and Venezuela's decision to sever energy ties with TT.