CABINET changes announced by Prime Minister Andrew Holness yesterday were greeted with acceptance by political commentator Shalman Scott and scepticism by the People’s National Party (PNP), whose chairman, Fitz Jackson said the Opposition was less than hopeful the move will bring about the change that the country needs.
Jackson, the Opposition spokesman on national security, while congratulating the newly appointed and reassigned ministers, said that if the prime minister had been serious about the country’s business some reassigned ministers would have been sacked.
“I want to congratulate the newly appointed ministers and I hope that those who have been reassigned will seek to do the best they can. Their respective successes will be to Jamaica’s benefit. However, I don’t think there is much to be hopeful for, given the case of those who were in other ministries before, and so I look forward to them doing better,” Jackson told the Jamaica Observer.
“If the shuffle by the prime minister is about improving governance I would have expected him to act in his shuffling to deal with the person responsible for the blunder with the used cars. I would have loved to see him act with regards to the $600-million bushing programme. I would expect him to shuffle reflecting the blunder with the wage negotiations and the disrespect accorded to the various public sector groups. That
In contrast, Scott described the Cabinet shuffle as “prudent”, noting that the timing is apt as the Government approaches the halfway mark of its constitutional term.
Five Cabinet ministers, including Minister of Finance and the Public Service Audley Shaw, and five junior ministers are affected by the changes to the Cabinet.
Shaw will be replaced by recently elected Member of Parliament (MP) for St Andrew North Western Dr Nigel Clarke, a business executive who has also served as deputy chairman of the Government’s Economic Growth Council and was a Jamaica Labour Pary (JLP) senator between 2013 and 2015.
Leave A Comment