19 September 2025
Guyana and Jamaica formally ushered in new Cabinets this week, signalling sharpened agendas in two countries at pivotal moments. Guyana is in the midst of an oil-fuelled boom and Jamaica sees the start of an historic third term for Prime Minister Andrew Holness who is pushing for reform and growth.
In Guyana, President Irfaan Ali was sworn in for a second term after his People’s Progressive Party/Civic won a majority in Parliament. In his first address after taking the oath, Ali projected a unifying and ambitious course. “The next five years will be the most consequential in our nation,” he said, pledging continued social programmes that build prosperity.
Days later at State House, Ali swore in a 25-member Cabinet designed, he said, to be “results-driven, people-centred and efficient.” Setting the tone for governance, the President declared that the next five years “must be years of results and of transformation.”
“Appointments were not made lightly. They were never about competition but about complementarity—about who can deliver, who can act decisively, who can move this government’s agenda forward without delay,” he stressed.
The new line-up mixes continuity with fresh faces and balances experience, youth, gender and technical competence. Among the newcomers are Keoma Griffith (Labour and Manpower Planning), Sarah Browne (Amerindian Affairs), Vanessa Benn (Housing, Minister within), Madanlall Ramraj (Public Works, Minister within), Vickash Ramkissoon (Agriculture, Minister within), Zulfikar Ally (Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation) and former national cricketer Steven Jacobs (Minister within Culture, Youth and Sport).
New portfolios include Public Utilities and Aviation; Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation; and Labour and Manpower Planning. These reflect the administration’s focus on service delivery and implementation capacity in a rapidly expanding economy. Ali reiterated that performance will be under constant scrutiny. “The measuring stick is clear: results, people, efficiency, transparency, and delivery,” he said, adding that changes will be made where necessary. Core veterans remain in place, including Mohabir Anil Nandlall (Attorney General), Dr Ashni Singh (Finance), Hugh Todd (Foreign Affairs), Zulfikar Mustapha (Agriculture) and Dr Frank Anthony (Health).
Beyond Cabinet mechanics, Ali’s policy priorities include offering free college tuition and raising the monthly minimum wage. He has also pledged to more than double pensions to US$500 for people 65 and older and to halve electricity bills by next year. The now minority opposition Partnership for National Unity (APNU) was critical of the new Cabinet, arguing that “all should have been fired and replaced,” and warning that “they will continue to blunder and flop.”
Meanwhile, after their surprise performance in the election, the newly minted main opposition We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) has announced its 16 members of parliament (MPs), with Party leader, Azruddin Mohamed confirming that he will enter the National Assembly as Opposition Leader.
In Jamaica, Holness took the oath of office for a new term and appealed for unity after a hard-fought election. “The elections are over. We must reunite and refocus on the business of the nation. Regardless of the outcome, we must choose Jamaica,” he said at King’s House. Extending an olive branch on constitutional reform, Holness added, “I extend my hand to the Opposition to create a space for the national interest; let us partner together to complete the work we started on making Jamaica a republic.”
Holness framed a governance and growth agenda anchored in cutting red tape through the SPEED (Streamlining Processes for Efficiency and Economic Development) programme. “A modern economy demands a modern Government. Jamaica cannot afford to be slow when the world is moving fast… By digitising transactions, streamlining approvals, and using technology to eliminate delays we will unleash productivity across the economy,” he explained.
Holness named 19 ministers, pairing stability with targeted changes geared to growth and state modernisation. Dr Horace Chang continues as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security and Peace; Fayval Williams retakes Finance and the Public Service; Kamina Johnson Smith remains at Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade; Edmund Bartlett continues at Tourism; Dr Christopher Tufton remains at Health and Wellness; and Olivia Grange stays at Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport.
Delroy Chuck assumes a broadened justice remit as the Ministry of Legal and Constitutional Affairs is joined with the Justice Ministry, formalising a merger intended to streamline legal and constitutional work, resulting in the exclusion of Marlene Malahoo Forte from the new Cabinet.
Senator Dana Morris Dixon leads Education, Skills, Youth and Information; Senator Aubyn Hill takes Industry, Investment and Commerce; Desmond McKenzie remains at Local Government and Rural Development; Pearnel Charles Jr oversees Labour and Social Security; Daryl Vaz manages Transport, Telecommunications and Energy; Floyd Green leads Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining; and Matthew Samuda is now Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change.
In the Prime Minister’s Office, Audrey Marks is responsible for Efficiency, Innovation and Digital Transformation. Robert Morgan has responsibility for Works in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, while Holness recalls Andrew Wheatley to oversee Science, Technology and Special Projects, and Robert Montague as Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development responsible for Land Titling and Settlements.
Their return to Cabinet has already begun to draw scrutiny. Wheatley returns more than seven years after leaving the energy, science and technology portfolio amid a corruption scandal involving several agencies under his watch, while Montague resigned in 2022 after an Integrity Commission report on the Firearm Licensing Authority found he had approved firearm permits for persons with criminal ties while he was national security minister.
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Reference: https://www.facebook.com/pppcguyana
Source: Caribbean Insight – 19 September 2025 Volume 47, Issue 18