No Cabinet reshuffle in 2017 – President Granger

After making several changes to the structure of the Ministerial Cabinet at the beginning of this year, President David Granger has announced that there will be no such reshuffling going into 2017.
The Head of State made this announcement during this week’s ‘The Public Interest’ programme, where he said he will be heading into the New Year with the current component of Cabinet Members, saying that this is the best Cabinet that is possible for his Administration.
“They work very hard and I’m very happy to work with them in the New Year… The team has remained intact, although the functions have modified and I feel very confident going into 2017 with the same team,” he stated.
President Granger reflected on the two main ministerial changes he made at the beginning of this year, which was the establishment of the Natural Resources and Public Telecommunications Ministries. He noted that he is pleased with the work the two Ministries have done over the past year.
“I think everybody is satisfied with the performance of (Telecommunications) Minister Cathy Hughes; she has taken a completely new Ministry and she has moved it forward. It is now central to the new agenda,” he posited.
Hughes was previously Tourism Minister – that Ministry has since been merged with the Business Ministry, headed by Minister Dominic Gaskin.
Meanwhile, the Head of State noted that the changes made regarding natural resources will allow the subject Minister Raphael Trotman, to focus primarily on that sector. Previously, Trotman was given the portfolio of Governance Minister with responsibility of Natural Resources and the Environment.
“He is now strictly responsible for natural resources. I’ve created a Department of the Environment so he’s not responsible for both the extraction of minerals and the protection of the environment,” the Guyanese leader posited.
Furthermore, the President told reporters during the programme that he is satisfied with the performance of his Ministers, noting that the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Cabinet is made up of representatives from the six different parties which form the coalition that got it into office, with each party represented at the ministerial level.
While the Head of State seem to be pleased with the work of his Cabinet, there have been several calls for the dismissal of certain Government Ministers who found themselves marred in controversies.
One such case is the controversial rental of a pharmaceutical bond at Sussex Street in Georgetown. Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton had come under mounted criticisms over the facility, which is billing Government in excess of $14 million per month. Only this past week, the matter rose again when an impromptu visit to the facility by a delegation set up by the Speaker of the National Assembly revealed that no actual drugs or pharmaceuticals were found there. The items being stored included condoms, lubricants, IUD (intrauterine device) insertion kits, umbilical cord clamps and a CT scanner to be placed at the Bartica Hospital.
Another controversy involving a Government Minister occurred earlier this year when Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence had supported an alleged child molester who had contested, and was elected in his constituency, during the March 2016 Local Government Elections. This issue sparked much public outrage, particularly among rights groups and activists who staged several protests outside the Ministry calling for Lawrence to be removed from office. (Vanhu Manikchand)