Hosein cleaning up Agriculture Ministry

Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Kazim Hosein is cleaning up the ministry in light of recent revelations that recruitment is occurring without the permanent secretary's approval and concerns employees are being victimised for doing their jobs.

The inadequacies were revealed in an official transcript of the minister's speech which was supposed to be delivered at a cheque distribution for the agricultural finance support programme on February 7 at the NESC-TI in Pt Lisas.

However, in giving his remarks, the minister did not adhere to the script.

Asked about the occurrences by reporters after the function, Hosein said some of the department heads often did things without informing the permanent secretary.

"That is not right. The permanent secretary is the accounting officer in the ministry and the permanent secretary needs to know everything that's going on in the ministry so she informs me."

He said at times, he found out what was happening through news reports in the media.

"It shouldn't be like that."

On the issue of victimisation, he said it was important, especially for the human resource department to know how to treat with people.

"You have to know how to talk to them. You have to know how to listen to them and nobody is perfect. People will make mistakes but you have to treat the staff (with) the treatment they deserve."

He continued: "While I am there, I am going to ensure that happens at the ministry and I'm not going to use a high-handed approach. I talk to people nice. I show love and I will continue to do it."

Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture Avinash Singh clarified that the ministry was large – with about 42 departments and almost 5,000 employees, many of whom worked in satellite offices. He said the structure often led to communication problems within the organisation.

"HR issues are far and wide. It's not like another ministry where it's one building of people."

Hosein said he was having a meeting with the 42 heads of departments on February 10 to iron out all the issues.

"I'm putting the farming community first, because I am in that job today and tomorrow I might not be there. So I want to leave the ministry better than I met it."

While Hosein did not address the challenges in his remarks to the 116 recipients of the grant, he instructed the permanent secretary to shuffle department heads to avoid people being too comfortable where they were.

"Let them know what it is to be working in different departments."

Hosein denied the reshuffle was a measure to deal with the recently revealed issue within the ministry.

He also told staff in his speech that they must not believe they were better than any of the people they served.

"Not because you see a man in the market selling in a slipper and short pants that you all are better than him or better than her."

He continued: "I want you all at the Ministry of Agriculture to treat these farmers and fisherfolk like you all are their friends, because everybody walking through that gate into whatever departments...to treat them properly and with love."

Hosein was previously Minister of Rural Development and Local Government but was appointed as Minister of Agriculture in a 2022 cabinet reshuffle. His vacated post was taken up by then attorney general Faris Al Rawi. Reginald Amour, replaced Al-Rawi as the Attorney General.