PM Delivers Charge to New Members of the Cabinet

Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Miller charged the 14 members of her new Cabinet, to remain cognisant of the fact that they were public servants, who were acting in the interest of the Jamaican people.

            Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony on March 31, which was presided over by Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Honourable Professor Kenneth Hall, Mrs. Simpson Miller advised: “Remember, the power that we have is to be exercised on behalf and in the interest of the people. It is not a power for ourselves to be used for our own glory and advancement”.

            “We must work and show results, not to talk and find excuses. This must be an action Cabinet, for I intend to lead an action team,” she said.                                     The Ministers who were sworn in included: Robert Pickersgill,  Minister of Housing, Transport Water and Works; Dr. Omar Davies,  Minister of Finance and Planning; Dr.  Peter Phillips, Minister of National Security and Leader of Government Business in the House of Representatives;  Maxine Henry Wilson, Minister of Education and Youth; Roger Clarke, Minister of Agriculture and Lands; Senator A.J. Nicholson, Attorney General, Minister of Justice and Leader of Government Business in the Senate;  Dean Peart,  Minister of Local Government and Environment;  Phillip Paulwell, Minister of  Industry, Technology, Energy and Commerce; Senator  Anthony Hylton, Minister of  Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade; Aloun N’dombet Assamba, Minister of  Tourism, Entertainment and Culture; Horace Dalley, Minister of Health; Derrick Kellier, Minister of Labour and Social Security;  and Senator  Colin Campbell, Minister of  Information and Development.                           Meanwhile, as part of her plan to further engage Jamaicans in the process of governance, Mrs. Simpson Miller in early April, charged the 12 appointed Ministers of State to listen to the voice of the people by consulting with them on matters of policy and garner their support for the successful implementation of those policies.

            She said that no policy which affected the lives of Jamaicans should be brought to Cabinet without meaningful consultation with the people and the mobilization of their support for its successful implementation. The  Prime Minister renewed her call for a partnership between the government and all sectors of the society, saying that this was crucial to reversing degradation in many urban communities, as well as the revitalisation of rural and primarily agriculture-based communities.

             Members of Parliament for North Western Clarendon, and Central Kingston respectively, Richard Azan and Victor Cummings, were the two representatives who were appointed State Ministers for the first time. Mr. Azan was appointed State Minister in the Ministry of Housing, Transport, Water and Works, while Mr. Cummings was appointed State Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands.

            The other State Ministers included: Fitz Jackson, Ministry of Finance and Planning; Errol Ennis, Ministry of Agriculture and Lands; Noel Monteith, Ministry of  Education and Youth; Floyd Morris, Ministry of Labour and Social Security; Kern Spencer, Ministry of Industry, Technology Energy and Commerce; Dr. Donald Rhodd, Ministry of National Security; Delano Franklyn, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade; Harry Douglas, Ministry of  Local Government and Environment; Dr. Wykeham McNeill, Ministry of Tourism, Entertainment and Culture; and Dr. Fenton Ferguson, Ministry of  Housing, Transport, Water and Works.