Fit for the job

The Government has rejected suggestions that there is a link between Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness’ claim last week that some public-sector personnel may be seeking to sabotage government programmes and the reassignment days later of former Financial Secretary Darlene Morrison.

During yesterday’s post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House in St Andrew, Information Minister Dr Dana Morris Dixon sought to allay public concerns surrounding Morrison’s transfer after The Gleaner asked whether there was any connection between the two developments.

“I wouldn’t think that,” she said, adding that the prime minister had exercised his constitutional authority when he transferred Morrison from the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service to the newly established Ministry of Mining and Geology.

“The Constitution is very clear in it, that the FS (financial secretary) is a PS (permanent secretary). And so, the prime minister, as the Constitution allows, through consultation, and also obviously going through the Office of the Services Commission to the governor general, can move around permanent secretaries,” Morris Dixon said.

She added that the renewed focus on mining presented a new opportunity for Jamaica, “and so you want to put one of your strongest persons in that role. And that’s what has happened”.

NO ALLEGATIONS

There have been no allegations of sabotage against Morrison. However, her transfer has sparked public discussion because it came just days after Holness said he had concluded that some people in the public sector were determined to sabotage government programmes and initiatives.

When Morrison was asked during the press briefing whether she felt she had been treated fairly and whether she was considering legal action in relation to her transfer, Morris Dixon intervened, saying she had previously spoken with Morrison and that Minister of Mining and Geology Floyd Green would be taking questions.

Green said “it’s difficult to speak to a reason for moving”, but stressed that Morrison’s appointment to the ministry added value and that her years of experience in the public sector made her a good fit.

“What I can say is that the Ministry of Mining and Geology is very happy to have an experienced civil servant who has significant fiscal background. When you look at the body of work that we have to do at the ministry, especially in relation to fiscal reform, it’s very difficult to find a better fit for the ministry,” he said.

During his special press conference last week, Holness warned that personnel changes would be coming as his administration sought to meet the country’s needs.

“I don’t usually speak in extreme terms, and there are some subjects that it is better not to speak about, but, more and more, I am coming to the conclusion that there are persons in the public sector who are determined to sabotage – and I don’t say it lightly – delay, derail policies, programmes and initiatives of the Government,” he said.

“I see you,” Holness continued.

The Opposition People’s National Party has questioned whether Morrison’s reassignment was connected to Holness’ comments or to other matters, including the powers of the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) under the Financial Administration and Audit Act.

Civil service stakeholders have also called for the prime minister to produce evidence to support his claims or withdraw his comments. Asked about this, Morris Dixon said she had not discussed the matter with Holness.

“So, I can’t answer you in relation to what the prime minister will do,” she said.

Meanwhile, Green said the establishment of the Ministry of Mining and Geology came at “minimal cost”.

He said the mining sector would use its existing structures and technical officers, while its agencies were already established. The ministry would also operate a shared-services model with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, which also falls under his portfolio.

“When you look at the cost for the new ministry, it is genuinely minimal, but the structure helps in moving us forward quicker than we have been moving before,” he said.

Green said the creation of the ministry signalled the importance the Government was placing on mining and geology, and that the new structure would accelerate implementation.

He said the prime minister had instructed the ministry to pursue reforms to the mineral sector and fiscal regime, improve environmental protection and community safety, establish a Jamaica Minerals Institute, strengthen geological surveying, and pursue the divestment of the Government’s interest in Clarendon Alumina Production Limited and its participation in Jamalco.

The ministry has also been directed to develop a limestone value-added programme and craft an incentive regime for investors in the sector, initiatives that Morrison will lead.

sashana.small@gleanerjm.com