Barbados Cabinet shake-up

By Melissa Bryant
Reporter~SKNVibes.com

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – FOR the first time since taking over in January, Barbados Prime Minister David Thompson named a Deputy Prime Minister and made some major changes to his 18-member Cabinet that take effect from today (Nov. 25).

According to Caribbean Net News, Thompson made the announcement in an address to the nation on Saturday night (Nov. 22).
Although Thompson expressed satisfaction at how the ministers who were appointed after the January elections had performed, he noted that with tougher times ahead and global uncertainty about the likely performance of major economies, he was determined to deploy ministers “in as an effective a manner as possible, given the need to maximise individual and collective strengths”.

“Globally influenced economic challenges, together with unforeseen local priorities such as drainage, the need for greater economic empowerment through innovation, a revamping of our investment strategy, as well as relatively high increases in the prices of essential items, which have impacted negatively on the poor, make it necessary for me to review the structure of government and redefine areas of emphasis,” he stated.~~Adz:Right~~

Thompson named Attorney-General and Minister of Home Affairs Freundel Stuart as his Deputy and shifted a number of other ministers and readjusted portfolios.

The most significant change was the reassignment of Chris Sinckler from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade to the Ministry of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and Rural and Urban Development, taking over from Dr. Denis Lowe who is now Minister of the Environment, Water Resources and Drainage.
Sinckler’s previous portfolios have been taken up by former Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office with Responsibility for

Immigration Matters, Sen. Maxine McClean while the former Health Minister Dr. David Estwick has been reassigned to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Empowerment, Innovation, Trade, Industry and Commerce.