By Rabindra Rooplall
PRESIDENT, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, on Thursday, swore in Dr. Ashni Singh as a senior minister with responsibilities for finance under the Office of the President.
Dr. Singh took the oath in the presence of Cabinet ministers and other Government officials at a ceremony at the Office of the President.
The Office of the President will retain its oversight role but Dr Singh would be responsible for finance.

President Ali said Guyana is on a road of transformation which requires a multifaceted team with youth and experience.
The Head of State said Government needs to build capacity to manage the fortunes of citizens and create an environment in which all Guyanese can be successful.
Further, the President said Dr. Singh will be part of the team that will manage projects, programmes and policies to stimulate growth and expand the country’s economic base and strengthen existing sectors.

The President asked his Cabinet to support Minister Singh.
Dr. Ashni Singh thanked President Ali, Vice-President, Bharrat Jagdeo, and Prime Minister, Mark Phillips for the opportunity to join the Cabinet, noting that he spent a large part of his life in the public sector.

“I have spent almost all of my life in public service in Guyana. And it’s something that I consider a great honour. So having been invited by the President to join his Cabinet is a tremendous honour. I consider myself greatly honoured, greatly privileged. And perhaps most importantly, deeply humbled by the fact that he [President Ali] considered me for this appointment and extended the invitation to me,” said Dr Singh speaking on his appointment.

The former finance minister under the Jagdeo and Ramotar administrations said that he is entering office at a time when global economies are facing tremendous hardship, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“President Ali’s Government was very swift to recognise the magnitude of these challenges and they have been swift in crafting policies to address the challenges. We are far from out of the woods, but there is still a lot of work to be done. I am under no illusion of the magnitude of the challenges before us from the point of view of economic policy, implementation and management in Guyana,” he explained.

The Senior Minister is eagerly looking to get back into the business of Government. Dr. Singh will be a non-elected minister and will be serving as a technocrat. Dr. Singh is the holder of a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Lancaster, UK. He was previously appointed Minister of Finance on September 9, 2006. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Singh had served in several senior public finance capacities in Guyana’s civil service, including as Director of Budget in the Ministry of Finance, Deputy Auditor General in the Office of the Auditor General, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Guyana Revenue Authority and member of the Governing Council of the University of Guyana.