Social Development Ministry denies financial ties with Red Cross

A Spanish-speaking Community Disaster Response Team conducts an exercise on September 7, at the TTRCS headquarters in Port of Spain. - File photo

The Ministry of People and Social Development said there is currently no active financial relationship between it and the Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross Society (TTRCS).

The ministry said this position stems from outstanding compliance requirements, specifically the timely submission of audited financial statements.

In a media release dated November 4, the ministry acknowledged the TTRCS is in the process of updating its records and has since submitted audited statements for the period 2019–2022. The release said its statement comes in response to recent media reports concerning the TTRCS’s financial matters.

“On full compliance, the ministry will undertake an assessment of the organisation, guided by established monitoring and evaluation procedures, to determine any future funding considerations,” the release read.

It concluded by emphasising both entities remain committed to the shared mandate of supporting the most vulnerable members of society, a commitment reaffirmed during meetings held earlier this year.

On November 1, newly elected TTRCS vice president Edward Moodie said the organisation currently has no funds during the reopening of the Red Cross South Branch on Ruth Avenue, San Fernando. The branch had been closed for at least five years.

In an interview with Guardian Media the same day, Moodie said the TTRCS is owed over a million dollars and may have to explore legal options to recover the funds.

He said the new executive discovered a breakdown in ambulance operations, identified the need to renegotiate several contracts, and claimed the Tobago contract is not financially feasible to continue.

The ministry’s stance mirrors an earlier media release on June 4, which noted the coverage of the TTRCS in relation to governance and management issues.

At that time, the ministry described the TTRCS as a key civil society actor. Then it was also said there was no financial relationship with the TTRCS due to compliance issues related to the submission of audited financial statements.

“While the ministry awaits the updating of these records by the TTRCS, there is a mutual commitment between both agencies to serve the most vulnerable in society,” the June release said.

It added the ministry anticipates the relevant mechanisms governing the management and administration of the TTRCS will continue to ensure good governance, accountability, fairness, equity, and equality.