JAMAICA | Holness makes long awaited changes to his Cabinet

KINGSTON, Jamaica, January 11, 2022 – Andrew Holness has announced the long-awaited New Year changes to his Cabinet, which has seen former agriculture minister  Floyd Green back in the Cabinet as Minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), and Member of Parliament for West Central St James, Marlene Malahoo-Forte as Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs.

The prime minister has also announced the appointment of former Contractor General Dr Derrick McKoy as Attorney General to replace Malahoo-Forte.  McKoy was also dean of the Faculty of Law at The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus.

According to a media release from the OPM, 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 statement said.

Green resigned from the Cabinet last September as the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries after a video of him partying on a no-movement day went viral. 

Member of Parliament for St James Southern, Homer Davis, has been promoted to Minister without portfolio with responsibility for the OPM's western Jamaica office. 

Davis will “oversee and coordinate special projects and major developments in western parishes,” such as the Montego Bay perimeter road. He previously served as minister of state in the ministry of local government and rural development and is a former mayor of Montego Bay. 

Robert Morgan has also been promoted to Minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister and is set to take charge of the important Information portfolio which has been shifted from Education and placed back in the Office of the Prime Minister.

Deputy Prime Minister Dr Horace Chang retains hold of the national security ministry and has been given a new junior minister in the person of Zavia Mayne who has been shifted from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

Other notable changes in the Cabinet include: 

• The movement of  Audley Shaw to take charge of the Ministry of Transport and Mining; 
• Matthew Samuda moved to the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation; 
• Senator Aubyn Hill appointed Minister of Industry, Investment, and Commerce; 
• Pearnel Charles Jr appointed Minister of Agriculture with Frank Witter as Minister of State.

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