I wish to make reference to the letter published under the caption: “Guyana being scorched because of incompetent PPP Ministers, public policy failings” in the Stabroek News, Monday November 19, Edition, page 21.
I wish to vehemently refute Dr. Asquith Rose and Harish S. Singh’s assertions of the incompetence of government ministers. While the article did not allude to any specific name(s) of ministers, I wish to single out a few. Firstly, I wish to make reference to the Hon. Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, the current Minister of Health. As the incumbent Permanent Secretary of the Ministry

of Health, I have had the esteemed privilege of working with the Hon. Minister of Health and I wish to emphasise the competencies of the minister.
I assert that he is extremely knowledgeable of the health sector which he has been mandated to manage, possessing good ideas and opinions for policy development to improve health care delivery in Guyana. Further, this minister possesses good managerial and conceptual skills with an aptitude for articulation and strategic thinking. From our constant deliberations, I have no reservations in saying that the Hon. Minister of Health is on top of his job.

Moreover, I can also attest to the competencies of government ministers with whom I am constantly in communication. The Hon. Dr. Jennifer Westford, Minister of the Public Service, is constantly providing guidance and advice to assist the Ministry of Health in accordance with the Public Service Rules, which would not have been possible had she not been knowledgeable of her duties. The Hon. Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, Minister of Agriculture, possesses excellent managerial and leadership skills, which I am in a position to emphasise from presently working with him in addition to our constant interactions while I was Director, Human Resources, Georgetown Hospital Public Corporation and still continue to do.
Additionally, I must mention the Hon. Dr. Nanda Gopaul, Minister of Labour for his exceptional mentorship skills. This I am qualified to speak about since he served as my mentor while I was studying for my Master of Business Administration Degree. His mentorship included providing ample guidance on strategic negotiations as well as the practical aspects of industrial relations and labour laws as it relates to Guyana and the Caribbean.

While I cannot express an opinion with respect to the competence of other government ministers, I can assuredly declare that their professional execution of their duties is a testament in itself.

I therefore submit that I am prepared to deal with any ramifications that may result in my disproving of this article.