As the coalition government pushes for a centralized public information unit, it has announced plans to merge the Government Information Agency (GINA) with the newly created, Department of Public Information (DPI).

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo told News Source on Monday that Cabinet has already approved the merging of the two agencies for which a phased implementation of the fusion will commence soon.

The coalition government had formed the Department of Public Information when it took office in May 2015 as it attempted to restore credibility to a politicized GINA.

The proposal to merge DPI and GINA was put forward in a White Paper on Public Information which was authored by the Prime Minister.

After review, Cabinet approved the move.

Prime Minister Nagamootoo hopes that the merge could begin within the coming month.

“I always believed in a small, highly professional and trained public information/government information unit,” Nagamootoo told News Source during an exclusive interview.

“We really don’t need several of these… just one centralized unit to do government public information,” he added.

In fact, government is looking to bring the public relations arm of all ministries, state and para-state agencies under one policy guideline.

Once the merger occurs, Nagamootoo said, the intention is to use the White Paper as a guide.

It is intended to be presented to the National Assembly so that there could be a clear idea as to how the government views public information.

Nagamootoo said there will also be consultations on the document, which has already been circulated among Public Relations Officers working with the state.

He said the Paper is not an analysis of current situation but is a forward-looking guideline for public information.

 During the recent inaugural government PR Conference, Mr. Nagamootoo charged public relations and communications professionals from the various Government PR Departments, to strive to improve their performance in the execution of their duties and in highlighting the work, policies, programmes and initiatives of their respective ministries, departments and agencies.

The coalition government has received a flogging from many of its supporters and other Guyanese for what appears to be, an ineffective public relations strategy, that does not mirror the many changes in today’s media and information landscape.

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