PM Holness reshuffles cabinet
Key Points(5)
- Prime Minister Andrew Holness has reshuffled his Cabinet with significant changes at the Ministries of Transport, Education and Agriculture.
- A new ministry has also been created.
- Robert Montague is no longer Transport Minister; he has been replaced by Audley Shaw.
- Shaw was at the Ministry of Industry, Investment, Commerce Agriculture and Fisheries.
- is now the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness has reshuffled his Cabinet with significant changes at the Ministries of Transport, Education and Agriculture.
A new ministry has also been created.
Robert Montague is no longer Transport Minister; he has been replaced by Audley Shaw. Shaw was at the Ministry of Industry, Investment, Commerce Agriculture and Fisheries.
Pearnel Charles Jr. is now the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. He was previously in the Office of the Prime Minister as Minister of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change.
Senator Aubyn Hill is now the Minister of Industry, Investment & Commerce.
The former Education, Youth and Information Ministry (MoEYI) is now the Education and Youth Ministry.
The Information Ministry has been moved to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) with Minister Robert Nesta Morgan, as Minister without Portfolio. He previously served as a junior minister in the former MoEYI.
The new Ministry of Legal and Constitutional Affairs will be overseen by Marlene Malahoo-Forte, who now becomes a full cabinet minister. She has been replaced as Attorney General by former Contractor General, Dr. Derrick McKoy.
Floyd Green who resigned as Agriculture Minister last year returns as a Minister without Portfolio at the OPM.
Homer Davis, formerly Minister of State in the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, is now assigned to the Office of the Prime Minister in Western Jamaica to oversee and coordinate special projects and major developments.
The Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (re-incorporates the Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change Portfolio formerly under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Renewal has three Ministers without Portfolio, Robert Montague, Clifford Warmington, and Matthew Samuda who was Minister without Portfolio at the Ministry of National Security.
Ministers who retain their positions are Dr. Horace Chang at National Security, Dr. Nigel Clarke - Finance and Public Service, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith – Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade, Edmund Bartlett - Tourism, Health & Wellness – Dr. Christopher Tufton, Justice – Delroy Chuck, Local Government and Rural Development - Desmond McKenzie, Culture, Gender Entertainment & Sports - Olivia Grange, Science, Energy & Technology – Daryl Vaz, Karl Samuda – Labour & Social Security, Fayval Williams - Education and Youth Minister.
New Ministers of State have also been appointed.
Zavia Mayne who was at Labour and Social Security is now at National Security. Frank Witter is at Agriculture and Fisheries; Marsha Smith – Finance & the Public Service, J.C. Hutchinson – Transport and Mining.
According to a release from the Office of the Prime Minister, the changes take into account the need for greater focus and attention on constitutional and legal reform as well as improving the pace of development and passage of legislation through the Parliament.
It says these changes are also designed to facilitate greater coordination and synergy of resources on further increasing the number of housing solutions at affordable prices as well as the development and pursuit of new economic opportunities, such as the Blue and the Green Economy as Jamaica recovers from the pandemic.
The OPM says as the Government moves towards fulfilling its mandate, increasing the pace of implementation of projects, and transitioning its management of the pandemic, there is also greater need for coordination in the dissemination of timely and accurate information to the public.
