Georgetown: Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan was among nine others who were sworn in as Cabinet Ministers by President David Granger at the Office of the President on Friday. Ramjattan has been appointed Minister of National Security, formerly Minister of Home Affairs. He is also the second Vice President.
A 10th Minister – Dawn Hasting – Minister within the Ministry of Communities has also been appointed; however, she was not present at the swearing-in ceremony. Granger’s Cabinet now has more members than the previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic Administration despite the merger of several ministries and a promise by him to have a “smaller but muscular Cabinet”. The others who took the oath of office in addition to Ramjattan are: Sydney Allicock as Minister of the Indigenous People ; Raphael Trotman as Minister of Governance; Noel Holder, husband of the late Sheila Holder as Minister of Agriculture; former Commissioner of Police, Winston Felix as Minister of Citizenship; Valerie Garrido-Lowe, Minister within the Ministry of the Indigenous People; Keith Scott as Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure; Jaipaul Sharma as Minister within the Ministry of Finance and Hans Dominic Gaskin as the Minister of Business and Investment.
The Ministry of Business, Governance and Citizenship came as a surprise, since Granger had promised to minimise the number of ministries and install a “muscular and lean government”.
It is understood by this publication that the Ministries of Governance and Citizenship, and Social Cohesion which is headed by Amna Ally, will be based at the Office of the President or under the Ministry of the Presidency with guidance from the Minister of State, Joseph Harmon.
According to President Granger, the Governance Ministry’s modus operandi will be to improve the quality of governance in the country, in particular the observance of constitutional provisions.
He said that Trotman will also be responsible for the establishment of a Commission to look at constitutional reform and to ensure that there is stricter application of Article 13 of the Constitution which calls for inclusionary governance. Additionally, the Ministry of Citizenship will place key emphasis on immigration, naturalisation and registration. The President explained that this ministry was created to ensure that Guyanese citizenship is protected and for better recording of Guyanese citizens from birth to death.
Immediately after the swearing-in, President David Granger welcomed the new members on board his Government, noting that the work has only now begun and as such, they must take their responsibilities seriously.
“We are committed to have a Cabinet which is committed to national unity, we are committed to have a Cabinet which is committed to have efficiency and transparency. I feel proud to have behind me a group of men and women who are going to transform Guyana and see that we have a good life for all Guyanese,” Granger said.
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