President David Granger on Wednesday afternoon told his new Ministers in the government that they are all part of one team that is committed to developing a more united Guyana.
The President intends to have a smaller but more muscular cabinet. Some ministries have been merged while new ones have been established. The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment will now fall directly under the President and his Ministry of the Presidency.
Longtime politician and Attorney, Moses Nagamootoo was sworn into office as the Prime Minister and First Vice President.
Attorney-at-Law Basil Williams is the new Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs while Dr. Rupert Roopnarine will serve as the Minister of Education and Ms. Nicolette Henry will take up the office of Minister within the Ministry of Education.
Former Budget Director and well-respected economist, Winston Jordan is the new Minister of Finance while another economist Carl Greenidge will head the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Dr. George Norton has been sworn into office as the new Minister of Public Health while Dr. Karen Cummings will serve as the Minister within the Ministry of Public Health.
There will be a new Ministry of Social Protection which will be headed by Volda Lawrence with Simona Broomes as her junior Minister. Broadcaster Cathy Hughes will serve as the new Minister of Tourism.
A Ministry of Social Cohesion has also been established and that Ministry will be headed by Ms. Amna Ally. The Ministry of Public Works will now be known as the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and it has David Patterson as its lead Minister with Annette Ferguson serving as the Minister within that Ministry.
Another new Ministry established is the Ministry of Communities which will bring together the Housing, Water and Local Government sectors. Mr. Ronald Bulkan will be the Minister of Communities.
There will be no Head of the Presidential Secretariat in the Granger administration but rather a Minister of State who will have responsibility for the Office of the President which is now the Ministry of the Presidency.
Attorney-at-Law Joseph Harmon will serve as the Minister of State in the Ministry of the Presidency.
President Granger said he is very confident that his team of Ministers will give the full support needed for him and the Prime Minister.
The remaining members of the Cabinet are expected to be named and sworn into office on Thursday. Attorney Khemraj Ramjattan is expected to head the Home Affairs Ministry.
The Ministry of Amerindian Affairs will be renamed the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs. There is no word as yet on who will head that Ministry and it is also unclear who will head the Ministry of Public Service and the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport.
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