April 13, 2016 Source

With mounting criticisms and calls for State Minister Joseph Harmon to face the public on his alleged transgressions, President David Granger has declared that Harmon will be issuing a statement on Thursday.

The President, speaking to reporters at the Ministry of the Presidency on Wednesday, stated that the issue surrounding the Minister was discussed at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting and certain commitments were given.

“It (the meeting) was convened to discuss specific matters which had been deferred from previous cabinet meeting…we have a commitment. He has prepared a statement which was delivered orally to cabinet and that would be issued in writing tomorrow,” said Granger. Granger did not say whether the statement would be made public.

Commenting on the photograph that has been circulated which shows Harmon with executives from controversial Chinese Logging Company Bai Shan Lin, the President stated that an explanation has been given.

“He has explained it to the cabinet…he had to go about 3 or 4 different cities and the (Chinese) Ambassador arranged the executive transport…it was arranged by the Chinese government because of the distance between the cities and the amount of time he had at his disposal.”

The President maintained that the Minister of State had travelled to China to conduct business on behalf of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited. Government has previously said that that trip was about the putstanding payment of US$5 million by a Chinese company for the sale of Guyana’s 20 percent stake in the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company.

It is unclear how he appeared in the photo with officials with Baishan Lin if he journeyed to conduct NICIL’s business.

Earlier Wednesday, Former Education Minister Dr Henry Jeffrey is urged that the powers that reside within the ambit of the State Minister be looked at in a manner that is sensible and beneficial to the state of Guyana.

Dr Jeffrey in an invited comment told Demerara Waves that at least one of the portfolios that Harmon now presides over was originally a public service post and it should held by a public servant.

“I have always thought that the kind of power that Dr Luncheon had lots of it was informal…I always thought it should be properly define…the Head of the Presidential Secretariat should have gone to a public servant,” Dr Jeffrey said adding that it being politicized “makes a mockery of the public service rules and everything.”

“It needs to be looked at in a sensible way…the head of the public service should really be in the hands of a public servant,” he added.

The Alliance For Change wants also for the position of Cabinet Secretary to be held by a senior or retired senior public servant.