by Linda Straker
- Merina Jessamy now Permanent Secretary to Minister Lennox Andrews
- Peron Johnson now Permanent Secretary to Minister Kerryne James
- Kim Frederick now Permanent Secretary with responsibility for Wellness and Religious Affairs, in Ministry of Health
Neila Ettienne, Press Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, has confirmed that there have been changes to permanent secretaries in several Government ministries as of 2 October 2023. Some have been reassigned, while others are first-time appointees who are acting in the position.
The role of the Permanent Secretary is to direct and coordinate the general functioning of the government within the operational guidelines of government policies and ensure effective deliverance of its mandate, under the direction of the Minister.
Among the changes are Merina Jessamy, Peron Johnson, Kim Frederick and Desiree Stephens. Jessamy, who formerly served as Permanent Secretary to Minister Kerryne James, is now the Permanent Secretary to Minister Lennox Andrews.
Johnson who is the first Permanent Secretary to Minister Andy Williams in the Ministry of Mobilisation, Implementation and Transformation, will now be serving Minister Kerryne James who is responsible for Climate Resilience, the Environment and Renewable Energy.
Frederick who formerly served as Permanent Secretary with responsibility for Economic Development, Planning, Tourism and the Creative Economy will now be Permanent Secretary with responsibility for Wellness and Religious Affairs, in the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Religious Affairs.
Congratulations are in order to all those listed and I wish you all the best of luck in your new positions.