Prime Minister Gonsalves makes Cabinet reshuffle

HINTS OF POSSIBLE CHANGES to ministerial portfolios have become a reality, and will see a shift in responsibilities for three Ministers.

The Ministry of National Mobilization and its accompanying portfolios including Social Development, Housing, Informal Human Settlements, Gender, and the Family will be split. Minister of National Mobilisation, Orande Brewster is being relieved of some of the responsibilities within that ministry, but will retain the portfolios of Housing and Informal Human Settlements and will also haveYouth and Sports. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Keisal Peters, has been reassigned to the Ministry of National Mobilization and Social Development, and will have responsibility for some of the portfolios previously held by Brewster.

Frederick Stephenson, who previously served as Minister of the Public Service, Consumer Affairs and Sports is being reassigned to be the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and will retain responsibility for Consumer Affairs. He will also manage the Regional Integration and Diaspora Unit.

The changes were announced during a ceremony at the Argyle International Airport on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, where the Premier of the Cayman Islands visited St Vincent and Grenadines to donate relief supplies and money to the Hurricane Beryl recovery effort.

Speaking to reporters, as well as Heads of Government who were on the ground to tour the Southern Grenadine islands, Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves said Senator Peters will “focus at the heart and soul of the government in National Mobilization and Social Development and all the

various sub-subjects in that particular portfolio in that particular ministry”.

Back in May of this year, the prime minister had hinted at possible change within the Ministry of National Mobilization. Speaking on NBC Radio at the time, Gonsalves said that the eruption of La Soufriere had presented a “new ballgame” in the Ministry of Housing, and he was considering relieving minister Brewster of some of the responsibilities of that ministry.

He said also there are a number of social safety net issues to be considered in country following the passage of Hurricane Beryl.

“… she [Peters] has her work cut out and we have to split those ministries so that we will give focus, and we’ve put in supporting administrative arrangements.”

Senator Peters, her party’s hopeful for the West Kingstown Constituency, was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade from August 2022, after serving as Minister of State in that Ministry for two years prior, and made history as the youngest person and first woman to lead that Ministry.

The Public Service portfolio, previously held by Stephenson, will be assigned to the Prime Minister.