[UPDATED] PM reshuffles Cabinet duties for ‘natural fit’

The Prime Minister has increased her workload following a reshuffling of ministerial responsibilities, which included the renaming of two ministries. The changes were made by the President on the advice of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar in accordance with section 79(1) of the Constitution.

Newsday was unable to get a comment from Persad-Bissessar, but Minister of Public Utilities and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Barry Padarath said the reassignment is an attempt to “harmonise the agencies and state enterprises where there is a natural fit, as well as for better operations and functionality.”

Under the reassignment, published in a gazette notice on October 4, Padarath was given responsibility for Power Generation, Trinidad Generation Unlimited and Powergen. 

It was previously under the Minister of Energy and Energy Industries, Dr Roodal Moonilal. 

Speaking to Newsday on October 5, Padarath welcomed the new portfolios, saying the arrangement had once existed many years ago. He especially welcomed it as it would affect T&TEC, which falls under his ministry. With the new duties, Padarath said there is a great need to review the power purchase agreements, which he claimed were left to languish by the former administration.

“Further, the impact of the excess power on the national grid is something that we are looking at in terms of our partnerships with commercial entities. During the PNM administration for the last nine-plus years, very little was addressed in the area of power generation in TT. It is our intention to review the agreements, make them more commercially viable, and explore untapped areas for investment. Of course, this will be done in consultation with all stakeholders as a long-term plan for the sector.”

Meanwhile, Moonilal also welcomed the removal of the responsibilities from his portfolio, which would allow the ministry to focus on other areas.

“Realignment of portfolio areas lends itself to better synergies and efficiencies. Our sector is not the same as it was a decade ago. I am happy to concentrate more on our regional energy and investment footprint and the key high-hanging fruits, as the country has already witnessed. Our economic future still depends highly on the energy sector and our reemergence as the hemispheric energy hub,” Moonilal told Newsday.

Among the changes is the Prime Minister absorbing the responsibility for matters relating to Heritage Buildings, Constitutional Reform, National Trust, National Commission for Self-Help Limited, National Library Services and the National Library and Information System Authority, Home Improvement Grants Policy, Housing and Village Improvement Programme (HVIP), Government Aided Self-Help Housing Programme (GASHHP). These were previously under Minister of Culture and Community Development Michelle Benjamin, Minister of Housing David Lee and Minister of Public Administration Dominic Smith.

Absorption of Self-Help raises eyebrows

The inclusion of social service bodies, like the National Commission of Self-Help Ltd, under the Prime Minister’s portfolio drew the interest of political scientist Dr Bishnu Ragoonath. As chairman of the Council for Responsible Political Behaviour, Ragoonath said the agency was seen as being used in the electoral process during the previous general election and has been used politically in the past.

“So the Prime Minister taking charge of that in this particular shifting of responsibilities suggests that the Prime Minister is taking control of at least that aspect of it.”

He noted it is left to be seen how the Prime Minister utilises the body, which would determine if it was a good or bad decision.

The shuffle would also see the renaming of the Ministry of Legal Affairs to the Ministry of Land and Legal Affairs, removing the responsibilities (and name) from the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries. Its minister, Saddam Hosein, would now be responsible for Lands and Surveys, Land Management, Regularisation of Tenure/ Housing for Squatters, Surveys and Mapping, Valuation, Land Settlement Agency, Land Survey Board of TT and the Estate Management and Business Development Company (EMBD).

Ragoonath said the moving of land responsibilities to the Ministry of Legal Affairs could facilitate the streamlining of state land distribution, which has previously been a challenge.

“In putting it into the Legal Affairs Ministry, it could probably be streamlined to ensure the faster delivery of state lands.”

The Criminal Justice Unit and the Prison System were removed from under Minister of Justice Devesh Maharaj and placed with the Attorney General John Jeremie and Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander, respectively.

Responsibility for matters relating to the National Health Insurance System and the Export-Import Bank of TT Ltd (Eximbank) would now rest with Minister of Finance Davendranath Tancoo instead of Minister of Health Dr Lackram Bodoe and Minister of Trade, Investment and Tourism, Satyakama Maharaj, respectively.

The Minister of Justice would now oversee Electronic Monitoring, Environmental Commission, Equal Opportunity Commission, the Equal Opportunity Tribunal, the Tax Appeal Board, Council of Legal Education and Hugh Wooding Law School instead of the Attorney General. Maharaj would now also oversee the Criminal Injury Compensation Board instead of Alexander.

The Minister of Labour, Small and Micro Enterprise Development, Leroy Baptiste, would now have responsibility for the National Entrepreneurship Development Company (NEDCO), which was previously under the Ministry of Trade.

Minister of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development Kennedy Swaratsingh was given responsibility for matters relating to Social Planning, Development and Monitoring, removing the duty from Minister of the People, Social Development and Family Services, Vandana Mohit. Instead, she was given responsibility for the Geriatric Adolescent Partnership Programme, which was formerly under the Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, Phillip Watts.

Reshuffle delayed budget?

The reshuffle comes during a time when the budget is typically presented in Parliament, but a date has yet to be announced. However, Ragoonath does not believe the shuffle would have played a role in delaying the budgetary planning because it would simply be the moving of line items.

“Let’s just say, for instance, Minister of Homeland Security now has responsibility for prisons. That would have been a line item anyhow under the previous structure and all it would need is to be simply removed from wherever it was before into Homeland Security now.”

He added: “So that should not necessarily have caused any significant delay.” 

This story has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

THE renaming of two ministries is among the changes made by the President as she reassigned the responsibilities of the Cabinet and ministries, following the advice of the Prime Minister.

A gazette notice published on October 4 stated the shuffle would see the renaming of the Ministry of Legal Affairs to the Ministry of Land and Legal Affairs, removing the responsibilities (and name) from the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries. Its minister, Saddam Hosein, will now be responsible for Lands and Surveys, Land Management, Regularisation of Tenure/Housing for Squatters, Surveys and Mapping, Valuation, Land Settlement Agency, Land Survey Board of TT and the Estate Management and Business Development Company.

Also among the changes is Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar absorbing the responsibility for matters relating to Heritage Buildings, Constitutional Reform, National Trust, National Commission for Self-Help Limited, National Library Services and the National Library and Information System Authority, Home Improvement Grants Policy, Housing and Village Improvement Programme (HVIP), Government Aided Self-Help Housing Programme (GASHHP). These were previously under Minister of Culture and Community Development Michelle Benjamin, Minister of Housing David Lee and Minister of Public Administration Dominic Smith.

The Criminal Justice Unit and the Prison System were removed from under Minister of Justice Devesh Maharaj and placed with the Attorney General John Jeremie and Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander, respectively. The Minister of Energy and Energy Industries will no longer be responsible for Power Generation, Trinidad Generation Unlimited and Powergen. This was placed under Minister of Public Utilities Barry Padarath.

Responsibility for matters relating to the National Health Insurance System and the Export-Import Bank of TT Ltd (Eximbank) will now rest with Minister of Finance Davendranath Tancoo instead of Minister of Health Dr Lackram Bodoe and Minister of Trade, Investment and Tourism, Satyakama Maharaj, respectively.

The Minister of Justice will now oversee Electronic Monitoring, Environmental Commission, Equal Opportunity Commission, the Equal Opportunity Tribunal, the Tax Appeal Board, Council of Legal Education and Hugh Wooding Law School instead of the Attorney General. Maharaj will now also oversee the Criminal Injury Compensation Board instead of Alexander.

The Minister of Labour, Small and Micro Enterprise Development, Leroy Baptiste, will now have responsibility for the National Entrepreneurship Development Company (NEDCO), which was previously under the Ministry of Trade.

Minister of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development Kennedy Swaratsingh was given responsibility for matters relating to Social Planning, Development and Monitoring, removing the duty from Minister of the People, Social Development and Family Services, Vandana Mohit. Instead, she was given responsibility for the Geriatric Adolescent Partnership Programme, which was formerly under the Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, Phillip Watts.

The changes were made in accordance with section 79(1) of the Constitution.