South Bureau

PUBLIC Administration Minister Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan is questioning the limited scope of responsibilities given to her ministry.

She is particularly concerned with the decision to take away the administration of the Information Communication Technology (ICT) platform, which she said was critical to the transformation of the Public Service.

The ICT platform now falls under the purview of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education.

Seepersad-Bachan was removed last month as the Minister of Energy and Energy Affairs during a Cabinet shake-up. She was angry over the decision but relented in the end and accepted the job of Public Administration Minister.

Speaking with reporters after the commencement of works ceremony in the San Fernando West constituency yesterday, Seepersad-Bachan said she had only a short while before she received a document detailing her responsibilities.

"I saw a copy of it; I will have to ask some questions about it as well.

As you know, I have been speaking about the Public Service transformation programme; transformation of the Civil Service; the modernisation, the renewal programme for the Civil Service, and that requires a lot of the ICT, the information communication technology platform to actually transform the Public Service.

"I have been speaking about that (the ICT platform) for the past week, so those would have been some of the issues. I have seen that they have reduced the Ministry of Public Administration, and now being aware of it, I have to study to schedule properly to determine what will be the impact on the modernisation of the Civil Service and on the transformation programme, the whole renewal of the Civil Service." Seepersad-Bachan said,

"It is important to see now what will be given to the Ministry of Public Administration, if we will be given the tools and the instruments with which we will carry about this task."

She also thanked Works Minister Jack Warner for his open support. She said when the road in her constituency is fixed, "it is going to be a lasting solution".