The Office of the President yesterday announced the appointment of eight new Permanent Secretaries (PS’s) who will assume administrative control of Ministries such as Health, Labour and Home Affairs.
In five of these cases the newly appointed PS’s replace long-serving public servants who had been appointed by the previous administration.
There is no mention in OP’s press statement as to the method of selection or appointment of these individuals several of whom have either now entered the service from the private sector or have skipped several public service positions to take up their new posts.
Notably the position of Permanent Secretary is listed on the “Inventory of Authorized positions” for which appointment should come through the Public Service Commission (PSC).
Specifically Article 201. (1) of the Constitution states that subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the power to make appointments to public offices and to remove and to exercise disciplinary control over persons holding or acting in such offices shall vest in the Public Service Commission.
Additionally each of the posts appointed are listed as approved public sector posts in the 2020 budget with a remunerations at the General Salary Scale 14.
As of August 28 the PSC is fully constituted since President Irfaan Ali appointed Ganga Persaud as a member.
The appointments announced include that of Malcolm Watkins, a former Procurement Manager at the Ministry of Health. He will now be PS at that Ministry. Watkins a Certified Supply Chain Professional who holds a Master of Organizational Leader-ship from Southern New Hampshire University will replace Collette Adams.
At the Ministry of Home Affairs Mae Thomas a former Assistant Accountant at the Office of the President will replace Danielle McCalmon. West who was a candidate for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) holds a Diploma in Accountancy from the University of Guyana and a Certificate in Project Management.
Sharon Hicks who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accountancy and a Certificate in Developmental Psychology will manage the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs. Hicks previously held the position of Management Development Officer at the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, and served as an Auditor as well as an Internal Affairs Investigator at the Guyana Revenue Authority. She replaces Alfred King who helmed what was then the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs.
The newly renamed Ministry of Public Works will be managed by Vladim Persaud who replaces Kenneth Jordan.
Persaud holds a BSc in Economics, a Graduate Diploma in Development Studies, and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Guyana and is currently pursuing an International Master of Business Administration at the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business.
According to government he previously served at the Guyana National Bureau of Standards as the Head of the Finance Department and earlier at the Ministry of Finance as an Economic and Financial Analyst II, in the Budget, Fiscal and Monetary Division.
Shannielle Hoosein-Outar has been appointed to manage the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security. She holds a BSc in Business Management and a Post Graduate Diploma in International Relations from the University of Guyana and previously served as the Development Manager at Massy Guyana Ltd. She replaces Lorene Baird who managed the Ministry of Social Protection.
At the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce the new Permanent Secretary is Sharon Roopchand-Edwards.
An Economist by training, Roopchand-Edwards previously held the position of Principal Academic Engagement Officer within the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, at the University of Guyana. She previously taught out of the Department of Economics, University of Guyana and also served as a Director on the Board of the Bank of Guyana and a member of its Audit Committee.
Roopchand-Edwards also served on a number of other Boards and Committees including the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission (CCAC) among others. She replaces Rajdai Jagarnauth who managed the Ministry of Business.
The Ministry of Housing and Water will now be managed by a former Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) staff member in the person of Andre Ally.
Ally holds a Master of Business Administration from the Australian Institute of Business and several professional IT Certificates. He served at the CH&PA as the Head of ICT from 2008 to 2017 and at ANSA McAl, as the Country Manager and later its Regional Manager.
The final appointment announced is that of two-term Georgetown City Councillor Bishram Kuppen.
Kuppen who “previously served as a Corporate Management Officer at an international company abroad for many years and a Commissioned Officer of the Guyana Defence Force” will manage the Ministry of Labour.
