New cabinet members sworn in; several ministries renamed

By Tracey Khan – Drakes

[www.inewsguyana.com] – The newly sworn in faction of the David Granger led administration will comprise of only 15 Ministries. This has seen the renaming of a number of Ministries under the APNU+AFC government.

President Granger on Wednesday, May 20 swore in a faction of the members of his new government at the Ministry of Presidency where Moses Nagamootoo was not only named Prime Minister but first Vice President. This means two more Vice – Presidents are left to be sworn in and this is expected to be done on Thursday, May 21.

Also swearing in was Amna Ally as Minister of Social Cohesion, Carl Greenidge as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Winston Jordon as Finance Minister, Volda Lawrence as Minister of Social Protection, Dr George Norton as Minister of Public Health, Dr Karen Cummings, Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr Rupert Roopnarine as Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry as Minister within the Education Ministry, Simona Broomes was appointed Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, David Patterson as Minister of Public Infrastructure and Annette Ferguson as Minister within Public Infrastructure along with Ronald Bulkan as Minister of Communities.

The Ministers of Home Affairs, Indigenous People, Investment and Business are expected to be sworn in on Thursday.

Among those Ministries that have been renamed is the Ministry of Local Government & Regional Development, which will now be called the Ministry of Communities. The Ministry of Housing and Water also falls under this renamed Ministry.

The Ministry of Human Services & Social Security has been renamed to the Ministry of Social Protection which will be headed by Volda Lawrence and Simona Broomes.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Commerce has been renamed to the Ministry of Investment and Business; this will be headed by Dominic Gaskin, while the Ministry of Social Protection replaced Ministry of Human Services and Social Security.

The Ministry of Amerindian Affairs has been remanded the Ministry of Indigenous People and will be headed by Sydney Allicock.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment has since been placed directly under the Ministry of Presidency.

Following the swearing in ceremony, President Granger said the name change is intended to place special attention on the functions and duties of the Ministries, and some will also function with junior ministers.

The Education Ministry will now absorb the Ministry of Culture & Sports’ mandates.

“The reason is to emphasize the change in focus; it’s not just a cosmetic change…there have been changes not only in the name but the personnel, and we hope that the personnel will bring new talents to those positions,” Granger explained.

Retired Army Colonel Joseph Harmon was earlier sworn in as the Minister of State of the Ministry of the Presidency.

President Granger explained that Harmon’s official position will be that of Minister of State with duties similar to those that were carried out by Former Head of the Presidential Secretariat, under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration. He explained that the difference will be that this position will now be a political appointment.

This change is in line with the whole thrust of the new administration, of bringing stronger cooperation and coordination among the different agencies and partners of the government and the regions, the president explained.