In keeping with his mandate to assist the president in the running of the Ministry of the Presidency (MoTP), recently appointed Director General Joseph Harmon will overlook several key Departments.
Speaking at a post-Cabinet press briefing yesterday, Harmon disclosed that President David Granger has briefed Cabinet on the reassignment of the four ministers (inclusive of himself), who resigned because of their dual citizenship.
Harmon, the former Minister of State, disclosed that he will be assisting the president in the management of the Departments of Energy, Environment, the Public Service, Citizenship and Defence.
Observers had questioned the rationale behind the appointment given that Dawn Hastings-Williams was promoted to succeed Harmon as Minister of State. Earlier this month, Harmon said that Hastings-Williams will be responsible for the oil sector. However, given Harmon’s oversight of the Department of Energy and several key departments within the MoTP, it is not clear what responsibilities she has.
Asked on May 2 about Harmon’s functions as Director-General, shortly after the swearing in ceremony for new ministers ended, Granger said that Harmon would “continue to assist me in the administration of the Ministry of the Presidency.”
Stressing that all ministers are his “assistants,” Granger said Harmon, in particular, will have a non-ministerial role in helping to manage the Ministry of the Presidency. “As you know, the ministry has several large departments. I am responsible for defence.
I am responsible for environment. I am responsible for energy and there are several other commissions. In addition to that, there are three large departments—the Department of the Public Service, the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport and the Department of Energy. These are all very huge administrative responsibilities and I needed assistance in helping me to manage the ministry,” he explained.
Subsequently, Harmon told the media that one of his functions will be the holding of the post-Cabinet press briefing. He noted too that the president has invited him to sit in the Cabinet meetings so that “I can brief the nation on the things that are being dealt with in the Cabinet.”
On May 8, government announced that the remaining three former ministers have been given portfolios in the ministries they once oversaw.
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge, is now Foreign Secretary with responsibility for the Departments of Frontier and Territorial Integrity and Trade and Economic Cooperation; former Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin, is now Director of Manufacturing and Marketing with responsibility for the enforcement of standards and the provision of assistance to small producers including access to markets for the products, while former Minister of Public Service Dr Rupert Roopnaraine is now the Director of Public Service Training with responsibility for training standards at the Guyana Defence Force Staff College, the Guyana Police Force Staff College and the Bertram Collins College of Public Service.
Harmon told the media yesterday that the president also informed Cabinet that the service of the former ministers and their reassignment took effect from April 25th, 2019.
He later explained that the president has direct responsibility over the matters he will now be in charge of. “In the assisting of the president in these matters, there will be discussions with His Excellency and he will indicate to me what areas require assistance,” he said, while noting that he will not be overseeing the Minister of Citizenship or any of the other ministers who head the Departments that he has named.
“They will report to His Excellency…[who] has indicated that I will assist him in that regard so I am not overseeing any minister in the performance of their duty. They have specific responsibilities and those responsibilities are well laid out.”
