Ministers to be appointed this week, President Ali tells MOTP staff
President Dr Irfaan Ali began his first day in office with a meeting with staff of the Ministry of the Presidency where he disclosed that his first week in office will see the establishment of Ministries and appointment of his Cabinet Ministers.
“Before the end of this week, we hope to have all the Ministries established with the Cabinet Ministers appointed, the areas of responsibilities will have to be detailed and gazetted and then we can move towards a more general and broad discussion in relation to the priorities and the focus of the new Government so we’re in this together for a better Guyana,” Dr Ali told the staff Monday morning.
Ali said later in the day he will be meeting with all Permanent Secretaries of the current Ministries to discuss the way forward.
During the meeting, Ali pointed out that the Ministry of the Presidency is the highest office in the country and should have the highest level of service at the highest standard.
He also called on staff to work as a team and behave in a manner befitting of the office.
“It is not only the President that makes this environment successful – I’m fully aware of this. I’ve always been a strong believer in teamwork. I’ve always been a strong believer in collective thinking so I expect all of you to recognise that we have to operate at the highest standard, [in] the most efficient way and we have to set the bar for the rest of the public service and the rest of the country,” President Ali said.
The newly appointed President told his new staff at the secretariat’s Vlissengen Road, Georgetown office to take the lead in promoting unity.
“We cannot operate in a way that will fuel insecurities, in a way that can fuel distrust, in a way that can fuel thinking in a society that caused actions that can lead to disunity, that is not the way we should operate,” he said.
While there will be changes, which he noted are common with a transition, the President said the plans must result in the ultimate benefit of “all the Guyanese people.”
Dr. Ali on Sunday appointed Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips as Prime Minister, former President Bharrat Jagdeo as his Vice President, Anil Nandlall as Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs and Gail Teixeira Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance.
They will make up the Government’s transition team, headed by Jagdeo.
Monday’s meeting was attended by Teixeira and Phillips.