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JAM | Jan 10, 2022

Floyd Green back in Cabinet, Montague loses transport as Holness shuffles Executive

/ Our Today

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Prime Minister Andrew Holness (Photo: YouTube.com | JIS)


Prime Minister Andrew Holness has made significant changes to his Cabinet, including bringing former Agriculture Minister Floyd Green into the Office of the Prime Minister and pulling the Transport and Mining portfolio from Robert Montague who was at the helm during controversies that led to the sackings of the Airports Authority of Jamaica and Clarendon Alumina Production boads.

Montague will be replaced in transport and works by Audley Shaw, who moves over from the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, which will be taken over by Senator Aubyn Hill.

Robert Montague, moves from the Ministry of Transport and Works.

Pearnel Charles Jr will take over the agriculture and fisheries portfolio which had been with Shaw since Green resigned in disgrace amid raging controversy over his involvement in a birthday party on a no movement day.

Charles had previously been minister of housing, urban renewal, environment and climate change with responsibility for Housing and Water, a portfolio which now moves back under the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, led by the prime minister.

Montague joins the team in the economic growth and job creation portfolio, as does Matthew Samuda, who had previously served as minister without portfolio in the Ministry of National Security.

Former Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Floyd Green is back in the Cabinet.

The information portfolio has now been removed from Education and Youth Minister Fayval Williams, and Robert Morgan, who had been her state minister with responsibility for Youth, now becomes a full minister without portfolio in the prime minister’s office.

The newly appointed ministers will be sworn in during a virtual ceremony tomorrow (January 11).

In a release issued tonight Holness said he had advised the Governor General of the changes to the Executive:

The Office of the Prime Minister said the changes take into account the need for greater focus and attention on constitutional and legal reform as well as improving the pace of development and passage of legislation through the Parliament.

“These changes are also designed to facilitate greater coordination and synergy of resources on further increasing the number of housing solutions at affordable prices as well as the development and pursuit of new economic opportunities, such as the Blue and the Green Economy as we recover from the pandemic,” the OPM said.

“As the Government moves towards fulfilling its mandate, increasing the pace of implementation of projects, and transitioning its management of the pandemic, there is also greater need for coordination in the dissemination of timely and accurate information to the public.”

Derrick McKoy

Outside of the Cabinet changes, the OPM has also announced the appointment of former Contractor General Dr Derrick McCoy as attorney general, replacing Marlene Malahoo Forte, who maintains a spot in the Executive as minister of legal and constitutional affairs.

“Dr McKoy has significant knowledge and experience in law,” the OPM said.

“Derrick McKoy is a former Contractor General of Jamaica and a former Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of the West Indies, Mona Campus. He holds a doctorate in law from the University of Leicester, a doctorate in Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University, the LLM in International and Comparative Law from University College London, the MBA from Barry University, and the LLB from the University of the West Indies.

“In 2016, Dr McKoy was awarded the Order of Distinction, in the rank of Commander (CD), for Outstanding Contribution to the Legal Profession and for Public Service in Jamaica.”

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