Opposition Leader says Govt still in “flip flop” mode

TIMES INT'L
Finance Minister Winston Jordan
Finance Minister Winston Jordan

Former President and now Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo is condemning the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government for its “flip-flop” move, in the appointment of Dr Maurice Odle as the Chairman of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL).

Jagdeo in a telephone interview with Guyana Times International on Tuesday evening stated that during the 2015 Budget debates, his Party – the People’s Progressive Party/Civic – highlighted a number of cases where the present Administration has been ‘flip-flopping.’

He said this latest action of replacing their Finance Minister Winston Jordan from the helm of NICIL, only after the PPP/C’s criticisms, is evidence of the Government’s incompetence.

“This is a sign of incompetence from the Government and it is expected. When they argued that it was illegal to have a Minister of Finance at the head of NICIL, they turned around and put their Finance Minister there. It was only after we criticised them and pointed out their double standards and hypocrisy that they have now replaced Jordan with Dr Odle,” the former President posited.

It has only been a few days since Dr Odle was appointed as NICIL’s Chairman and he is already the Chairman for the Tax Reform Committee which was recently formed by Minister Jordan.

The Finance Minister reportedly divulged that Dr Odle served in a number of positions during his stint at the United Nations and the Caribbean Community (Caricom). He is an Economist.

Under the previous Administration, then Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh held the post of Chairman at NICIL. The APNU/AFC had then criticised the PPP/C for this act, stating that it was unacceptable due to conflict of interest.

However, in early August this year, there was silence by the Administration as to the appointment of Minister Jordan as the Chairman of NICIL in spite of arguments put forward by the PPP/C.

Related posts