PM congratulates new ministers, signals more changes to come
KINGSTON, Jamaica— Prime Minister Andrew Holness has signalled that more changes will be made to the Cabinet to better fulfil the mandate of the Government to its citizens as the needs of the society evolves.
Holness was speaking on Tuesday at a virtual ceremony to swear in three new ministers and the new Attorney General.
“As opportunities present themselves, there will be more changes to come. It is a difficult time, but we are a stable Government. We are a solid Government, we have competent people, we have a clear set goal and mission and with the challenges we face with the pandemic, we can say, unlike most countries that we have been surviving the pandemic, certainly from a fiscal standpoint very well,” Holness said.
“We have challenges with crime, but we have our plans in place, and we are steadily working through those. I wish to assure the people of Jamaica that we will not be deterred and we are on the job 24/7 working in your service,” he added.
While congratulating the new ministers, Holness further stated, “Right now, we are focused on getting the Government’s legislative agenda settled, getting agriculture back on track, getting information back on track, because what has happened in the pandemic is that we have seen an unleashing of a flood of false information, fake news and it would seem that there is a willingness to accept and believe false information.”
In the meantime, he underscored that, like other organisations, the administration will have to place people in positions that suit their competencies to better serve the public.
The ministers sworn in were, Marlene Malahoo Forte, Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Floyd Green as Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, and Franklin Witter as Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Dr Derrick McKoy was sworn-in as the Attorney General in a ceremony immediately after.
According to Holness, the Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs will be responsible for reforming the laws of Jamaica to start the process of reviewing the constitution.
Minister Green has been assigned responsibility for the National Identification System (NIDS).
Minister Witter is tasked with rebuilding the agriculture sector which has been impacted by the pandemic.
The new Attorney General, Dr McKoy, will ensure the legal and justice arms are structured to have a greater rate of efficiency.
