Chambers happy with reshuffle

San Fernando Mayor, Kazim Hosein, was ap- pointed Minister of Rural Development and Local Government while Fitzgerald Hinds is the new Minister of Public Utilities.

Rohan Sinanan is the Minister of Works and Transport and Franklin Khan appointed Minister of Energy and Energy Industries.

In a telephone interview yesterday, Chaguanas Chamber of Industry and Commerce (CCIC) president Richie Sookhai, said the Chamber welcomes the changes to the Cabinet and cited Khan’s appointment as “reassuring given the economic challenges faced by the energy sector.” “We are optimistic that new Works and Transport Minister, Rohan Sinanan, would be able to complete the San Fernando to Point Fortin highway project as well as get the other major construction projects off the ground which would kick start the economy,” Sookhai said.

“We are also pleased that the San Fernando Mayor is the new Minister of Local Government because of his take charge attitude and he would be able to bring the long overdue local government reforms into reality,” he said.

“However, we wish to express concern that there was no change to the Ministry of National Security. And while the Prime Minister may have confidence in the present Minister, there needs to be changes made to the Ministry given the high crime rate.” However, San Fernando Business Association (SBA) president, Daphne Bartlett, offered a differing view of National Security as the “Prime Minister has shown us that he is the de facto Minister of National security with his pronouncements last night (Sunday), so it would mean he is more or less taking it over in his hands and micromanaging it.” And regarding the other appointments, she said those Ministries had come to a virtual standstill and needed a new injection of talent and experience.

“I agree with all the moves that he made because those ministries at the moment were not really going anywhere, the people in the country were wondering where we were heading because nothing was happening and we think they are good changes,” she said.

Meanwhile, Penal/Debe Chamber president, Shiva Roopnarine, observed that while the Ministerial choices were better, they still pointed to the “instability with everything that is happening in terms of the local politics.” He also praised Hosein saying he is a “hard-working gentleman and he performed well as the Mayor of San Fernando, his previous initiative being the Haiti drive and it was quite a success and we know he has a wealth of talent to bring up there to the Ministry of Local Government.”