Major shake up in ministries --Jagdeo appoints ten permanent secretaries By Desiree Jodah Stabroek News November 20, 1999 On his 100th day in office, President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday announced changes in administrative officers in nine key ministries and a new appointment at the Office of the President, when he confirmed Sasenarine Kowlessar as the minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for finance and Geoffrey Da Silva as the new minister of Trade, Tourism and Industry. Nine ministries will have new permanent secretaries (PS) as well as the Office of the President, but with the exception of one, there was no mention of where the former officers will be placed. President Jagdeo stressed that the object of the changes was to make government more results-oriented and responsive to the needs of the population. He said in fulfilment of this commitment, changes and adjustments were being made at various state levels as part of an ongoing process. At a press conference held at the Office of the President, New Garden Street, shared with Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, and Information Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, President Jagdeo announced Sonia Roopnauth, 27, as the new PS in the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Industry. Tarchand Ramgolam had been performing duties as Permanent Secretary. In naming the new trade minister, Mr Jagdeo said the government was aware of and concerned about the health of former minister Michael Shree Chan. He said Shree Chan had asked to be relieved of ministerial duties. Mr Jagdeo expressed the government's gratitude to the minister for his service adding that Shree Chan would be working with him in the Office of the President. The two new ministers will take the Oath of Office on November 23. Kenneth Jordan replaces Ganpat Sahai at the Ministry of Public Works and Communications; Doerga Persaud takes over from Claude Marks at the Ministry of Health and Labour, while Marks replaces Ronald Fraser at the Legal Affairs Ministry. Phulander Kanhai is the new PS in the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development; he takes over from Edgar Kendall. Trade unionist Dr Nanda Kishore Gopaul replaces Robin Sivanand at the Public Service Ministry. Randolph Williams is the new PS at the Ministry of Home Affairs taking over from Dereck Thompson, who had been acting in this capacity. Overseas-based Guyanese Prem Misir has been named PS in the Ministry of Information, replacing Phillip Hamilton. Mervyn St Hill was replaced by Dindyal Persaud at the Ministry of Agriculture and Jennifer Webster has been named as Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President. Webster, 35, later told Stabroek News she was delighted to be given the opportunity to serve. Noting that she had been a public servant for years, she said she would endeavour to do her best towards more efficient action in her department. President Jagdeo expressed optimism that the new appointments would bring renewed vigour and talent to the work of the government. He said the public could expect more effective and efficient functioning of these ministries. Questioned as to whether Sahai's replacement had anything to do with the stone import report, Mr Jagdeo said Sahai was due for retirement in September. Dr Luncheon, in answer to a query about what was expected of the new officials, said the intention was to examine the various ministerial sectors and to have agreed guidelines on performance between the Office of the President and the ministry and its permanent secretary. He said the major part of the discharge of the permanent secretaries' functions would be guided by the initial engagement, after which government would set the criteria for performance. Asked about obligations and remuneration for the new permanent secretaries, Dr Luncheon said that the fact that all the persons accepted was evidence that what had been put in place was mutually accepted. Questioned on the role of Kowlessar, President Jagdeo said he (Kowlessar) would manage finance portfolios as he did as finance minister. However, he said, in the light of his (Kowlessar's) newness and the critical nature of the international negotiations, he (Jagdeo) would be leading these discussions. He said he would continue to head the international negotiating team until Kowlessar acquired the confidence and experience to deal with these issues. He sees the major challenge for the new minister as negotiations for the second annual arrangement for the International Monetary Fund's Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility (ESAF). Kowlessar, 45, has a Masters Degree in Business Administration (Banking and Financing) from Aldephi University and a Bachelors Degree in Economics from the University of Guyana. In an invited comment, he said he saw the appointment as a challenge as it was a great task to follow the footsteps of his predecessor. He described the President as a good finance minister and said he could learn a lot from him. Da Silva, 45, obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Latin American and Caribbean Studies from York University. He had been adviser to the President on good governance and had been this country's consul general to Toronto and manager and community liaison coordinator at the Canadian Tribune Publishing Company. A © page from: Guyana: Land of Six Peoples