Finance Ministry attracting talent, evolving for the better
DPI, Guyana, Monday, October 8, 2018
The Finance Ministry’s evolutionary changes are placing it on the path to becoming one of the country’s finest, says Minister Winston Jordan.
The finance minister is confident that changes made since he began his tenure will result in his ministry becoming one of the best in performance.
The minister has worked in the same Finance Ministry, in various capacities since 1985. Speaking with the Department of Public Information, the minister said:
“When I came to this ministry it was broken. You had virtually no professional staff and so on. Today, when I see some of the applications that people are submitting, unsolicited… People from different universities. When I see the interest, I say finally, this important ministry has an opportunity to recruit staff of the calibre, and with the right training and so on, that will make this ministry into one of the finest.”
The Finance Minister noted that the ministry has completed several notable firsts over the last three years.
“We have produced two budgets so far, before the year starts. It’s no mean feat. We have produced a public debt report without a requirement of parliament. We have consistently produced half-year reports before the parliament goes into recess, even though the law says the 28th of August, but by the time parliament goes into recess and comes out back, that half-year report is nothing. It is no good.”
Minister Jordan said ministry staffers have worked hard to complete the half-year financial report before the parliamentary recess because it’s a tool for stakeholders to deal with, moving forward in the second half of the financial year. He cited the Public Private Partnership Framework and the Green Paper on the Sovereign Wealth Fund, all produced by a small cadre of highly dedicated and qualified people.
Four senior ministry officials have resigned or not renewed their contracts over the past five months. They include Financial Secretary, Dr. Hector Butts, Chief Planning Officer, Dr. Nelson Modeste and Deputy Finance Secretary (DFS), Louise Bouyea and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Procurement and Tender Administration, Donald DeClou.
According to the Finance Minister, the staffers’ departure will not affect the ministry’s operations and replacements have already been interviewed and will be in the vacant posts, soon.
Paul Mc Adam.