CEB: Over 1,100 Recruits in 10 Years, Including 595 Without Transparency

Deputy Arvin Babajee questioned Energy Minister Patrick Assirvaden about recruitment practices at the Central Electricity Board (CEB) over the past decade. The minister responded that between January 2015 and June 2025, the CEB hired 1,153 employees across various technical and administrative roles.

He added that in 2021 and 2023, 131 former employees from CEB Green Energy Company Ltd and CEB Facilities Company Ltd were integrated into CEB’s staff. However, not all recruitment processes followed proper standards.

Of these hires, 427 resulted from public job advertisements, but 595 were made without transparency. The minister criticized the lack of openness in these procedures.

The CEB’s workforce grew from 1,884 employees in 2015 to 2,312 in 2025, an increase of 428 jobs. The minister said this growth came at the expense of strict procedures.

He also questioned the integrity of past recruitment practices, suggesting they were “doubtful.”

A particular concern highlighted was the hiring of technicians without the required “National Trade Certificate Level 3” (NTC3), which is mandatory for such positions.

This certificate is a basic technical qualification crucial for safety in the sector. The minister emphasized that hiring staff without this certification poses serious safety risks, as even a small mistake could lead to dangerous consequences.

He criticized the practice of hiring individuals before they obtained their certification, then training them afterward—an approach he called “where competence is demanded after the fact,” which goes against good governance and responsible human resource management.

To address these issues, the new board of directors has decided to give a last chance to 23 technicians hired seven years ago under previous management.

They can regularize their status by obtaining the NTC3 certificate. This is to improve national electrical network security and upgrade internal skills, ending past tolerated irregularities.

Without directly naming anyone, Assirvaden hinted at political responsibility for these irregular practices, saying “Follow my gaze” during the assembly, implying that the previous government or energy minister may have been involved.

He criticized the previous management for filling sensitive positions like technicians without meeting minimum competence standards, potentially endangering staff and the stability of the power network.

Former Energy Minister Joe Lesjongard, now opposition leader, responded that he was not the minister at that time.

Source: l’Express