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MINISTER of Tertiary Education Prakash Persad reacted to questions about the required remediation of the proposed Debe campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI), by saying that costs were still being calculated, speaking to Newsday on May 21.
The day before Energy Minister and Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal toured the site which he complained had been left unoccupied and left in a state of disrepair, despite its initial price-tag of $600 million.
It was originally built starting in 2012 to house a Faculty of Law, but in 2019 was then chosen to facilitate a Faculty of Medicine and most recently been designated to become a Global School of Medicine (GSM) for international students pursuing a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree.
The latest news was that at least one course was supposed to begin there in August.
Newsday asked Persad what were his hopes for the site, what was the expected cost of remediation, and how much work had to be done and within what expected time-line.
He replied, “What I can tell you is the process now is that the costing is being evaluated and that is in progress.
“It will take a week or two and only then can I say something on it. To build the campus up, it is being evaluated now.”
Newsday asked about any expected time-line for works.
Persad replied, “It would be premature to give time-lines and costs. It is still being worked on.”
He added, “It has been lying there for some time, so maybe they do a proper evaluation. When they have done that, I will make a press release. I don’t want to comment on anything yet.”
Newsday sent a text to Moonilal asking his hopes for the site in terms of the cost and time for remediation but up to press time got no reply.
Newsday asked Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo if he has allocated any funds for the remediation but by press time got no reply.
Newsday sent a text to former education minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly over claims her administration had neglected the site, but as of press time got no reply.
Trinidad and Tobago Newsday
