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Newsday Reporter
Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Khadijah Ameen has confirmed that a pilot programme for the upkeep of public spaces is about to be launched in a few days, but she insisted it is not a Cepep replacement.
A leaked Cabinet note on December 11 revealed that the programme, which runs from December 15, 2025 to March 13, 2026, would fall under her ministry and would focus on the maintenance of cemeteries, recreation grounds, community centres, school grounds and other public spaces.
Thousands of Cepep workers were fired earlier this year following the change of government in the general election as the UNC administration signalled its intent to revise the programme.
In a media release on December 11, Ameen said the new initiative “is a fresh, results-driven initiative designed to strengthen manpower at Municipal Corporations, pay a decent wage and operate without political middlemen, patronage, or criminal elements, as was associated with Cepep.”
On the hiring of workers directly by her ministry, Ameen said this “removes political intermediaries and eliminates ghost gangs.”Teams will be assigned to Municipal Corporations with proper attendance records, performance checks, and financial controls, ensuring communities receive tangible, measurable work.”
