Cabinet Ministerial Portfolios given a New Year Shake-Up

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, January 11, 2023 – Significant portfolio changes and reassignments in the Ministries of Tourism, Education and Immigration and Border Services were announced over the New Year’s weekend by the Premier’s Office.

Premier Washington Misick himself described the moves as prompted by a need for more efficiency.

Wesley Clerveaux will now serve as the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Tourism, Agriculture, Fisheries, Heritage, the Environment and Religious Affairs.  Taking his former position as Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Social Services is Cheryl Ann Jones.

It was a clean swap of duties and roles for Clerveaux and Jones.

The Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME) formerly a part of the portfolio of Arlington Musgrove, who is the Minister of Immigration and Border Services will move to the direct control of the Governor’s Office through the National Security Secretariat.

The Departments of Labour, Customer Services and Employment Services will be assigned to the Ministry of Immigration and Border Services under minister Arlington Musgrove.  The portfolio was previously held by Rachael Taylor, the Minister of Education.

Now added to Taylor’s portfolio is the Department of Special Needs which was assigned to the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Social Services moving over from the Ministry of Health and Human Services, led by Shaun Malcolm.

The Turks and Caicos Gaming Commission was moved from Josephine Connolly, who holds the portfolio of the Minister of Tourism and is now assigned to Deputy Premier E Jay Saunders in the Ministry of Finance, Investment and Trade.

All the reassignments took effect on Sunday January 1st, 2023 the Government says, with the exception of the Department of Special Needs which will move over by April 1^st.