Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, SC has appointed her new Cabinet.
In her speech at President’s House after her Cabinet was sworn in on Saturday, the Prime Minister said with the new government in place, the first order of business will be “boots on the ground” and getting to work.
She listed a few areas of priority, including the reform of certain pieces of legislation. At the top of the agenda is the repeal of the Trinidad and Tobago Revenue Authority Act. In addition, Attorney General John Jeremie has been given instructions to work with the Cabinet on “stand your ground laws, home invasion laws, and the regulations that we would need to grant firearms to law-abiding citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.”
Mrs. Persad-Bissessar stated that newly appointed Minister of Finance Davendranath Tancoo has been mandated to find out “the state of the Treasury.”
“We need to find out what is the state of the Treasury before we can run off to do. Not just talk the talk, we must walk the walk. I can only know that by Monday. My Minister of Finance and my Minister of Planning put their heads together and let us see what we can do.”
On the energy side, the Prime Minister said Minister of Energy and Energy Industries Dr. Roodal Moonilal will explore further partnerships with CARICOM countries in this sector.
“Let us explore the offer made by Guyana to bring gas to Trinidad and Tobago. Suriname is also energy-producing, again we can partner with them. But I have a surprise for you. I intend to send my Minister of Energy to Grenada because I am being told that Grenada offshore has more gas and oil than the Dragon field. So shall we explore that?”
The Prime Minister said she is looking forward to working for all citizens of this country.
The following is the list of appointees to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s Cabinet:
Ravi Ratiram – Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries
Devesh Maharaj – Minister of Justice, and Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General
Michelle Benjamin – Minister of Culture and Community Development
Dr. Narindra Roopnarine – Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Culture and Community Development
Wayne Sturge – Minister of Defence
Dr. Michael Dowlath – Minister of Education
Dr. Roodal Moonilal – Minister of Energy and Energy Industries
Ernesto Kesar – Minister in the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries
Davendranath Tancoo – Minister of Finance
Sean Sobers – Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs
Nicholas Morris – Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister
Dr. Lackram Bodoe – Minister of Health
Dr. Rishad Seecharan – Minister in the Ministry of Health
Roger Alexander – Minister of Homeland Security
Dr. David Lee – Minister of Housing
Anil Roberts – Minister in the Ministry of Housing
Leroy Baptiste – Minister of Labour, Small and Micro Enterprise Development
Saddam Hosein – Minister of Legal Affairs and Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries
Barry Padarath – Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister and Minister of Public Utilities
Vandana Mohit – Minister of the People, Social Development and Family Services
Dr. Natalie Chaitan-Maharaj – Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of the People, Social Development and Family Services
Kennedy Swaratsingh – Minister of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development
Dominic Smith – Minister of Public Administration and Artificial Intelligence
Clyde Elder – Minister in the Ministry of Public Utilities
Shivanna Sam – Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Public Utilities
Khadijah Ameen – Minister of Rural Development and Local Government
Phillip Watts – Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs
Prakash Persad – Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills Training
Hansen Narinesingh – Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training
Colin Neil Gosine – Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Investment and Tourism
Eli Zakour – Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation
Jearlean John – Minister of Works and Infrastructure
The following individuals have been appointed Senators in Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s Cabinet:
– Ravi Ratiram
– Leroy Baptiste
– Eli Zakour
– Dominic Smith
– Dr. Natalie Chaitan-Maharaj
– Anil Roberts
– Prakash Persad
– Kennedy Swaratsingh