00:00A major shakeup here today at President's House as the country now has a new Finance
00:05Minister, a new Minister of National Security, a new Public Utilities Minister and a new
00:11Minister of Housing. Now, those are some of the changes that were made here today at a
00:15swearing-in ceremony for these ministers, among others, after a Cabinet reshuffle.
00:21All ministers under the Stuart Chung-led government have taken their oaths of office. Most ministers
00:27have returned to their roles in their respective ministries, with a few exceptions.
00:32The new Minister of National Security is now Marvin Gonzalez, the former Public Utilities
00:36Minister who replaces Fitzgerald Hines. Hines has been given the Minister in the Office
00:42of the Prime Minister portfolio, formerly held by the new Prime Minister Stuart Chung.
00:48Former TNT High Commissioner to the UK Vishnu Danpole is the new Finance Minister, replacing
00:53Colm Imbert. Imbert is now the Minister of Public Utilities.
00:58Former Junior Minister in the Ministry of Housing Adrian Lyons has now taken full control
01:02of that ministry, replacing Camille Robinson-Regis, who is the new Attorney General.
01:09Minister of Digital Transformation Hassel Barkas has been given an additional portfolio
01:14as Junior Minister in the Finance Ministry, alongside Brian Manning. Young has held on
01:20to the Energy portfolio. Speaking to the media following the swearing-in ceremony
01:24for his ministers, Young explained the reason for that decision.
01:28The amount of work that has gone into it, and in particular the specific emphasis when
01:35you're dealing with geopolitics right now when we're at Trinidad and Tobago Falls
01:39and that, with respect to our Ministry of Energy, Energy Industries, what we've been
01:43able to achieve, what we've gotten done, but also some of the things that need a little
01:48bit of focus and emphasis. So at this stage I thought it prudent to hold on to that portfolio
01:54until an appropriate time.
01:56He also provided insight into the shake-up at the National Security and Finance Ministries.
02:03Minister Hines has served an even longer tenure than I have as Minister of National Security.
02:08I held that portfolio previously. But as I said, as I said yesterday and as I said this
02:13morning, I think one of the things we're looking to do now is a new chapter. And what
02:19you're going to see is a lot of different things happening, built on a solid platform.
02:24Minister Inbar is the longing service, longest service Minister of Finance in Trinidad and
02:29Tobago. And I thank him. I thank him for his service. He's done a good job. He's provided
02:33a lot of stability. Our economy is a stable platform right now. But at this stage, based
02:39on some things that I intend to do in the not-too-distant future, and I needed him in
02:44a different portfolio.
02:46Inbar previously served in the role of finance under the Dr Keith Rowley-led government for
02:51nearly 10 years.
02:52I know that people will ask, so I'm asking, did it have anything to do, of course, with
02:56the Auditor General issue?
02:58No, it had nothing to do with the Auditor General issue. That matter has been dealt
03:02with. There is no missing money, despite what certain people want to keep trying with that
03:07narrative and trying with that narrative. The time is right. The population are looking
03:12on and what we're doing now is a new chapter.
03:15And while some people may view certain changes as a demotion for certain ministers, here's
03:20what Prime Minister Young has to say on that train of thought.
03:24So they should not at all see it as a demotion. These things happen very often. In fact, if
03:28you look at the previous cabinets, I think I was one of the most reshuffled ministers
03:33in the last 10 years, and at no period in time should a minister see that as a demotion.
03:38They're still there as part of the government.
03:40Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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