WASA budget falls; minister rules out cuts to established workforce

Published 16 October 2026 · Trinbago News Now · Original synthesis from the dated sources below; no independent field reporting claimed.

WASA’s draft expenditure estimate for fiscal 2027 is TT$2,998,806,051, a reduction of TT$287,079,918 from the revised 2026 figure of TT$3,285,885,969. The figures appear on page 299 of the Ministry of Finance’s statutory-board estimates.

Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath said on 15 October that there was no plan to reduce the authority’s established workforce. He said additional personnel funding was expected during the financial year.

The estimates are budget provisions, not actual expenditure. The minister’s assurance about established staff should not be read as a guarantee about every short-term contract.

Sources

Trinidad Guardian / Akash Samaroo; Ministry of Finance draft statutory-board estimates · Publication: 2026-10-15 21:42:55; print edition 16 October; budget 12 October · Checked 16 October at 6:36 AM AST

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