President David Granger has explained that his decision to move Minister Simona Broomes from the labour department to the Ministry of Natural Resources is to make use of her knowledge of hinterland and mining issues.

In a statement from the Ministry of the Presidency confirming News Source’s report of the Ministerial changes, the President is quotes as saying “Minister Broomes has tremendous energy and skill and she is going to be functioning from the Ministry of Natural Resources. She has a very good knowledge of the hinterland and we are concerned with the enforcement of certain practices and regulations in that Ministry”.

The President also confirmed that Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Keith Scott will be moved to the Ministry of Social Protection to take up the labour portfolio being left behind by Broomes.

Mr. Granger has described the changes as “adjustments” to match national needs.

He emphasized that these changes do not involve any changes to his Cabinet and does not mean that there is an increase in the size of the Cabinet or any reshuffling. “It is, instead, a step towards developing capacity in certain policy areas”, the release stated.

The President also announced that Minister of Tourism, Cathy Hughes will now be named Minister for Public Telecommunications, while maintaining Ministerial responsibility for Tourism.

“The reason is that after seven months, we detected a gap that there is no single spokesperson in the National Assembly, a Ministerial spokesperson, dealing with the digital economy [and] dealing with information technology. So we decided that it was necessary to have a Minister responsible for information and communication technology”, he explained.

Minister Cathy Hughes

Member of Parliament and Chief Executive Officer of the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN), Valerie Sharpe-Patterson has received the nod for that post of Minister within the Ministry of Communities because of her strong administrative experience and she will be take on the housing portfolio.

President Granger iterated that there is no increase in the number of Ministries and added that where gaps are identified, he is prepared to address them.

Below is a complete list of adjustments, effective January 1, 2016.

Ministry of Communities

– Hon. Keith Scott, MP, Minister within the Ministry, moves to the Ministry of Social Protection;

– Mrs. Valerie Sharpe-Patterson, MP, is appointed Minister within the Ministry.

Ministry of Governance

– This Ministry within the Ministry of the Presidency is re-designated Ministry of Natural Resources.
Ministry of Natural Resources

– Hon. Raphael Trotman, Minister of Governance within the Ministry of the Presidency, is appointed Minister of Natural Resources;

– Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Hon. Simona Broomes, MP, moves to the Ministry of Natural Resources;

Ministry of Public Infrastructure

– This Ministry relinquishes responsibility for public telecommunications.

Ministry of Social Protection

– Minister within the Ministry, Hon. Simona Broomes, MP, moves to the Ministry of Natural Resources;
– Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Hon. Keith Scott, MP, moves to the Ministry of Social Protection.

Ministry of Public Telecommunications

– This Ministry is established;

– Minister of Tourism, Hon. Catherine Hughes, MP, is appointed Minister of Public Telecommunications.

Ministry of Tourism

– Minister of Public Telecommunications, Hon. Catherine Hughes, MP, will retain responsibility for Tourism in addition to her new duties.

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