Major shake-up in Public Service Ministries
GUYANA - Minister of State, Joseph Harmon on Sunday announced the reassignment of several Permanent Secretaries, a move he said, is aimed at ensuring efficiency and accountability in the public service sector. The reassignments have affected the Ministries of Agriculture, Education, Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Legal Affairs, Public Health and the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport, a GINA release stated.
The Minister, who was particularly disappointed with budgeted spending, said that with effect from March 1, 2017, Ms. Joylyn Nestor Burrowes has taken up the post of Acting Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, replacing Mr. George Jervis, who along with the Deputy Permanent Secretary (Finance), Ms. Prema Roopnarine have been asked to proceed on leave. Ms. Collette Adams will now serve as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health following the removal of former Permanent Secretary, Mr. Trevor Thomas. Ms. Delma Nedd, former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, will now function as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Legal Affairs, while Mr. Alfred King, who was previously Permanent Secretary of the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport, will now serve in the same capacity as the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs. Mr. Vibert Welch, who served in the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, has now been moved to the Ministry of Education. Ms. Melissa Tucker, the former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Legal Affairs will now function as the Permanent Secretary at the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport. Former Head of the Works Services Group of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Mr. Geoffrey Vaughn has been elevated to the position of Permanent Secretary for that Ministry, while Ms. Marlyn Stephens from the Public Service Commission has now been assigned to the Public/ Police Service Commission as the Secretary and Ms. Sophia Hunte is now the acting Secretary of the Teaching Service Commission.
The Permanent Secretaries of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Social Protection, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Communities, Ministry of Business, Ministry of the Presidency, Department of Public Service and the Ministry of Public Telecommunications all remain the same.
(kaieteurnews.com)