PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – An urgent assessment of the controversial Brian Lara Stadium will be high on the agenda of newly appointed Sports Minister Anil Roberts.
The stadium, located in Tarouba in South Trinidad, had been constructed for the 2007 Cricket World Cup but was abandoned as a venue for the ICC event after it missed the completion deadline.
It was part of a multi-million dollar multi-purpose sports complex which was riddled with cost overruns and became enmeshed in the recent UDECOTT scandal.
“First and foremost we want to get a team of engineers to assess the Tarouba Stadium to see what state it is in, even though it was not under the Ministry of Sports,” said Roberts, a former top swimming coach.
“I would be liaising with the Minister of Planning, who has the responsibility for UDECOTT, since we want to know if cricket could be played there.”
The complex was managed by UDECOTT, the state-owned Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago, which was at the centre of a controversy and widespread corruption allegations.
Originally projected to cost $275 million (US$43.6 million), overruns carried the project to nearly $700 million. A commission of inquiry, led by Professor John Uff, was subsequently launched into the operations of UDECOTT.
“The UFF report described it as disastrous and scandalous; we found that there were over 370 stock work orders, and we need to find out what is the position there,” Roberts pointed out.
“We will do our best to keep it since 1.1 billion dollars was sunk there.”
Roberts said he would also instruct a forensic audit into the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago, an arm of the Ministry of Sports charged with overseeing sports projects.
“We have to re-organise and re-structure the Sport Company to do what it was meant to do so that the Permanent Secretary could have more oversight spending,” Roberts pointed out.
“Money will not be given out wildly, there has to be an audit of performance. We need to see improvement in the coaching and the sport on a whole. The Ministry will also be aiming to equip each organisation with qualified personnel.”