by Linda Straker
- Joseph-Zufelt said that MNIB continues to be a cornerstone for a growing agricultural sector and export market
- Chief Executive Officer from February 2021, Joseph-Zufelt to resign from 19 August 2022
- PM Mitchell said MNIB costing Government
The Management of the Marketing and National Importing Board has confirmed that Afia Joseph-Zufelt, who was hired as Chief Executive Officer in February 2021 is set to resign from the post as of 19 August 2022.
A news release from MNIB’s management said that during her tenure she provided visionary leadership and mentoring, which took the organisation through the Covid-19 pandemic. “During her tenure, the MNIB recorded significant improvements in export sales performance, debt servicing, and cash flow management,” said the release.
Joseph-Zufelt, according to the release, said that MNIB continues to be a cornerstone for a growing agricultural sector and export market. “Given the necessary guidance, support and resources, the organisation can accomplish the MNIB mandate…debt and organisational restructuring are necessary components for the organisation to accomplish the mandate.”
The announcement of her resignation comes approximately 3 weeks after Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said that operations of the MNIB are costing Government, and based on preliminary briefings from the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, consideration is being given to shutting its doors.
“I want to be very clear, that based on my preliminary briefing as it pertains to MNIB we may have to seriously consider ending the life of the MNIB and reconstituting either a new entity or an entity that really was meant to carry out the mandate of the MNIB,” said PM Mitchell who was elected to office on 23 June 2022. “I am saying this early, it may not, or it does not come as a surprise if we find ourselves there sooner rather than later. We are here to take decisions sometimes hard decisions…you can always come to the Government for bailout after bailout, after bailout with no turnaround in the fortunes of the entity, with no real plan to achieve the things that the MNIB was meant to do,” he said during his first news conference following his election victory.
The Dickon Mitchell administration has appointed a new board of directors for the entity which was established to market and sell Grenada’s agricultural produce and to find markets locally, regionally, and internationally for agricultural produce.
The members of the new Board are yet to be made public through publication in the Government Gazette.
Wait! Did I not understand something, did I read on a number of occasions that the MNIB was loosing plenty monies?
Did I hear the pm say that he can’t promise that place would remain open, because of the amount of lost? So why this glowing report about the out going head of that organization?
Good by and good riddance.
Come on the organization was failing long before this lady got there. She admitted to make the place better but hear you nah. So blame all the previous managers that had that company bleeding for over a decade due to their bad management and poor leadership. Check them that had to be investigated by the Integrity Commission.
attempted*