Who are the new Public Service Commissioners?

The new members of the Public Service Commission (PSC) were sworn in on Thursday at the Office of the President, a day after President Dr. Irfaan Ali said he would name these Commissioners.

The new Commissioners are: Mohandatt Goolsarran, Janice Bowen, Leila Ramson, Maurice Gajadhar, Melcita Bovell and Manniram Prashad.

Prashad was elected as the Chairman of the Commission after they all met following the swearing-in ceremony.

So who are these Commissioners?

Goolsarran and Bowen were nominated by the National Assembly.

Goolsarran is the Chairman of the National Accreditation Council, lecturer at the University of Guyana and a former Director of the National Center of Educational Resources Development (NCERD).

Bowen was nominated by the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), where she currently serves as an Executive Member. She is also an ordained minister.

Ramson, Gajadhar and Bovell were the persons proposed by President Dr. Irfaan Ali and shared with Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton for consultations.

Ramson served as both a Commissioner and the Chairperson of the Teaching Service Commission. She was also involved with the Radio Needy Children’s Fund.

Gajadhar is the Chief Executive Office of the Rudisa Motor Company Guyana Inc. and serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL).

Bovell is currently the Technical Facilitator to the Minister of Education but she served in the education sector for nearly 50 years.

Finally, Prashad previously served as a Minister of Trade and Tourism. He is currently the Head of the Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber.

The PSC, a constitutional body, oversees the public service. It can appoint persons to public office and exercise disciplinary actions, including the removal of persons from office.

The PSC affects the composition of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and the Police Service Commission. So with these Commissioners now in place, the JSC can also be named.