00:00It's not a budget item most would expect to see, but Budget 2027 has provided for a million dollar expenditure
00:08for storage of paper OJT applications.
00:13The Permanent Secretary advised me when it came under the Ministry of Public Utilities that OJT is paying something like
00:22two to three million dollars annually to rent a 20 foot container to house all these application forms.
00:30I will not go into the details to tell you who owns this 20 foot container to get two to
00:35three million dollars annually, but that is a sort of archaic system and therefore obviously it needs revamping.
00:42The minister says it is the ministry's intention to digitize the records as well as the application process.
00:50And therefore we intend on working with Ministry of Public Administration to improve the application process by going digital online,
01:00yes, but also we'll have to do an updated system,
01:02seeing that the 20 foot container has reached its capacity with old application forms.
01:10So therefore I believe that anything over five years we'll have to do a re-registration and make it a
01:16lot more friendly and easier for young people living in a digital world.
01:20The OJT program was only recently moved to the Ministry of Public Utilities and Minister Padarath is vowing to bring
01:27the program into alignment with the country's development needs.
01:31However, he did not state whether this would mean more or less trainee hirings.
01:36Do you plan to increase that 4,000 or probably streamline it downwards?
01:41Now taking a policy decision of aligning government needs with intakes into the program, we'll need to take a look
01:52at those who are currently in the program right now, meeting that mandate.
01:57Obviously they will remain in the program until the completion of their tenure in the program, but it will also
02:05give us the opportunity as some are exiting the program to realign our needs.
02:13So a lot more will be said about that in the very near future, but that process is ongoing right
02:19now with OJT.
02:19$275 million has been allocated in fiscal 2027 for stipends for the over 4,000 trainees in the program.
02:30Renessa Cutting, TV6 News.
