…bring youthful energy, wealth of experience to the table

MINISTERS of Government, freshly appointed to their posts under the new People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration, come with a wealth of experience they intend to use to further development in Guyana.

The Guyana Chronicle participated in interviews with all 19 of the recently appointed on Wednesday and they did not hesitate to share their promising plans.

Minister of Education Priya Manickchand is hoping to influence Guyana’s education sector positively with improvements in the areas of science and technology. She also plans to assess how best practices across the world can apply to Guyana.

She is determined to tackle, head-on, the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the education sector with a keen interest in the safety of all stakeholders. “I haven’t been briefed as yet…but for me, the important thing right now is staying safe. Our most precious resource should be our people, particularly our young people that we’re trying to educate right now. I’m of the view that a couple weeks or a couple of months out the schools is not going to kill us, but a virus might,” she said.

With this in mind, the Education Minister said that the new government will have to ensure that in its decision-making, it takes into consideration the right to be educated alongside the government’s duty to preserve the safety of its people. Manickchand will also focus on curricular reform.

Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat told the media that he will ensure that better management and accountability are maintained in the management of Guyana’s natural resources.

He said that he has received reports of serious issues at the level of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) so his intention, working along with his team, is to immediately address these. He said: “At the Forest Commission we were told that workers were not paid for several months but, of course, tomorrow we will get a better idea as to what is taking place there.”

Bharrat will also push for the review of existing oil contracts so that Guyanese can benefit from better future deals. He has also set his sights on improving the current Local Content Policy.

Meanwhile, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill said that he will continue on projects such as the Linden to Lethem Road, the Ogle, East Coast Demerara to Diamond, East Bank Demerara bypass road, the Corentyne River Bridge, the Amaila Falls Hydro Project and farm-to-market access roads.

Edghill also said that Guyanese can look forward to improved sea and river defences to prevent flooding and loss of crops and livestock; safer waterways and improved road and traffic.

His ministry will also be working to speed up the process towards bringing gas onshore to Guyana to give the manufacturing sector the needed boost and will pursue cheaper, cleaner forms of electricity through the oil and gas sector and the Amaila Falls Hydro Project.

“These are all things that we’ve been speaking in the public and I’ve been tasked as the lead team member…to ensure that we have these developmental, transformational projects happen and we’ll be working to ensure that our country with the gas and gas economy will [develop further],” he said.

Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr. Vindhya Persaud told the media that she will be seeking to address the needs of society’s most vulnerable through her ministerial portfolio.

Regarding the elderly, she will seek to improve on pensions and access to pensions, benefits and programmes to improve the quality of life of the elderly. For women, she intends to focus on their unique issues and to develop more women leaders who understand their worth in society.

Dr. Persaud will also seek to improve on the safety and security of the nation’s youth through existing agencies representing the well-being and welfare of children. “I would like to see those agencies enriched, better served, more resourced, so that we can have things that we always wanted to see such as more counselling in schools,” she said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton has assured the public that, under the new government, his ministry will be doing more than serving as a mediator between employers and employees.

He said that one of the key focus areas citizens can look forward to is human development through training. “Of course, the issue of representation of employees will play a role, but when you talk about labour, you need a well-informed, educated, talented labour force to execute government programmes,” he reasoned.

As Minister of Labour he also has his sights set on equal development to ensure that the concerns of no single region is brushed beneath the carpet.

Newly appointed Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, wants to ensure that all Guyanese, especially young people, can have access to housing in the near future and efficient water delivery. He said that his party will stick to its manifesto to expand the housing drive and will work to reduce the backlog that has existed for years.

“Our aim is to ensure that we keep our commitment to the people of Guyana and that is what I’ll work towards and I must say thanks to the President for having the confidence in myself to get that sector. As you’re aware, he was the former Minister of Housing and Water in the last PPP government, so I am happy that my President has confidence in me,” he said.

Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Campbell-Sukhai hopes to continue her representation of indigenous peoples in Guyana by ensuring that they receive the lands they deserve under the Amerindian Land Titling Programme.

She also wants to rally greater support from the government to address the COVID-19 challenges in Regions Seven, Eight and, especially Nine. “The President is strong on that. We have to rid ourselves of COVID, so I suppose that the ministry will also be participating in that,” the minister said.

Campbell-Sukhai will also focus on providing funding for investment in entrepreneurial projects; food security; challenges with flooding and projects which invest in supporting agriculture in villages.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, intends to bring his skills from the private sector into government for greater effectiveness. He will work to advance Guyana’s infrastructure, aviation and other sectors.

“Within the Ministry of Public Works, there’s a massive task ahead for all of the infrastructure works that we promised in the manifesto which includes the Demerara Harbour Bridge, the deep-water harbour, the Amaila, the bypass link, just to name a few,” he said. Indar has over 20 years of experience in the private sector and is a trained economist.

On Wednesday, President Irfaan Ali swore in 19 Ministers of Cabinet. They will now take up the task of managing the various sectors of Guyana as top leaders of the government.