In September 2017, during the Government’s national pre-budget forum ‘Spotlight on the Economy’, contractors asserted that Government owed them an estimated $4.5 billion. As such, Prime Minister Rowley invited the JCC to submit documentation to support the claim.

Subsequently, in January 2018 the Prime Minister announced that he will chair a Ministerial Committee for the Construction Industry. The committee includes relevant Government Ministers and representatives from the various professional bodies which form the JCC. One area of focus for the committee is the settlement of legitimate outstanding arrears to contractors.

Today, several months after they received the request from the Government, the JCC was able to submit documentation to substantiate claims totalling $676 million. The Government will now undertake a verification process with a view to settling its commitments as part of its overall management of Trinidad and Tobago’s economy.

The Government will continue to work through the construction committee to facilitate continuous communication between all the various parties who contribute to the construction sector. This will allow for the sharing of information and provide the Government with valuable input and feedback for its plans and strategies.