President Granger unveils Cabinet

… Nagamootoo sworn in as PM, several Ministries merged, renamed

By Alexis Rodney

Veteran politician Moses Nagamootoo was on Wednesday sworn in as Prime Minister and First Vice President of the David Granger-led Administration.

His swearing in preceded the official appointment of some 15 other Cabinet Ministers as part of the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition Government. Nagamootoo is now tasked with the chairmanship of the Cabinet. In his capacity, he will hold a liaison and supervisory role of the entire Cabinet to work around the legislative agenda.

Prime Minister Nagamootoo after his swearing in related that in his capacity, he would be moving head-on into the clean-up of the city. “Let’s see how we could send a message to the Guyanese people that elections are behind us, and we have to now work together,” he said.

PM Nagamootoo pointed out that being Leader of the House in the National Assembly would keep him busy, “but I will pay special attention within my ministerial outfit, to Information and Constitutional reform, those are two big areas because we had promised the Guyanese people that we will have constitutional reform, so I will pay special attention to that area.”

Nagamootoo was born in the village of Whim, Corentyne Berbice (East Berbice-Corentyne). He worked as a Teacher and Journalist, and later became a lawyer. He was elected to Parliament in 1992 as a People’s Progressive Party (PPP) MP and subsequently served as Information Minister and Local Government Minister.

He remained in Cabinet under the presidencies of Cheddi Jagan, Samuel Hinds, Janet Jagan and Bharrat Jagdeo. He resigned as Minister in 2000 but remained an MP until 2011, when he resigned from the PPP, having first joined in 1964.

Other Ministers

Meanwhile, also taking the oath of office before the Head of State were Basil Williams as Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General; Amna Ally as Social Cohesion Minister and Carl Greenidge as Foreign Affairs Minister. Ronald Bulkan has been appointed Minister of Communities, which is an amalgamation of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development as well as Housing and Water Ministry. Besides, AFC’s Cathy Hughes was appointed Tourism Minister. Former Budget Director in the People’s National Congress (PNC) administration, Winston Jordan has been appointed Finance Minister, while Drs George Norton and Karen Cummings have been appointed Minister of and Minister within the Ministry of Public Health respectively.

Following them were Volda Lawrence and Simona Broomes who were appointed Minister of and Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, which will replace the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security. Dr Rupert Roopnaraine and Nicolette Henry have been sworn in as Minister of and Minister within the Ministry of Education respectively. Guyana Times International was told that both sport and culture will fall under the Education Ministry.

Additionally, AFC’s General Secretary David Patterson and APNU’s Annette Ferguson have been appointed Minister of and Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure respectively.

The President is soon expected to swear in four other Ministers. These include: Khemraj Ramjattan as Minister of National Security, which has replaced the Ministry of Home Affairs;  Noel Holder as Agriculture Minister; Sydney Allicock, Minister of Indigenous Peoples and Dominic Gaskin, Minister of Investment and Business.

Reduce and rename

Meanwhile, in addition to reducing the number of Ministries, President Granger has renamed and merged several others. The Ministry of Amerindian Affairs has been renamed the Indigenous Peoples Affairs Ministry while the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development has been renamed the Ministry of Communities. This Ministry will envelop Housing, Water and Local Government, while the Ministry of Business is expected to be responsible for internal trade, information and communication technology.

A number of Ministers of State are also expected to be appointed over a period of time to help orient new persons for eventual full-fledged ministerial appointments.  Speaking following the swearing in ceremony, the President stressed that his Cabinet is one team and was absolutely sure that each member would work towards the betterment of Guyana.

“We are one team and we are committed to ensuring that Guyana becomes a less divided country and a less poor country and I am confident that the Ministers that were sworn in today will give their support to me as President and Prime Minister Nagamottoo and will continue to work towards ensuring that the people of Guyana have a good life”, Granger told the gathering at his office.

He said he hopes that the Indigenous People’s Ministry would now focus on having proper roads and marketing strategies to help sell the produce of Amerindians outside their communities. The President said the renamed Ministry would continue to focus on land rights and community issues.

Meanwhile, also being sworn in was Retired Army Colonel Joseph Harmon as the Minister of State of the Ministry of the Presidency.

The President related that Harmon’s official position will be that of Minister of State with duties combined with the office of the Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS).  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.

He further explained that the role of the Cabinet Secretary will now be separate. Under the previous Administration, the roles of the HPS and the Cabinet Secretary were carried out by one individual, Dr Roger Luncheon.

The President said that he expects that the Cabinet Secretary will be a public servant post. He reminded all though that under the Cummingsburg Accord, this position can go to the Alliance for Change (AFC).