Senior Reporter
sharlene.rampersad
@guardian.co.tt
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says the sweeping changes in her Cabinet realignment are meant to “increase efficiency, cut costs and bureaucracy.”
The changes, which took effect on September 30, place several significant responsibilities with ministers who did not previously have them, while removing other duties from their colleagues (see sidebar). The changes are set out in the Trinidad and Tobago Gazette No. 166, published last Friday, October 3.
The changes came almost one year to the day the Prime Minister first realigned her Cabinet in 2025.
In the latest shifts, the lion’s share of the new responsibilities went to Land and Legal Affairs Minister, Saddam Hosein.
Hosein now has responsibility for the Government Aided Self-Help Housing Programme (GASHHP), the Housing and Village Improvement Programme (HVIP) and Hydrographic Surveys, Caroni (1975) Limited, Golden Grove Buccoo Limited, Palo Seco Agricultural Enterprises Limited (PSAEL), Rincon Development Limited, Sugar Manufacturing Company Limited, the Sugar Industry Labour Welfare Committee, Taurus Services Limited and TRINTOC Services Limited.
Guardian Media asked the Prime Minister about the added responsibility for Hosein, and how confident she was that he could manage the additional workload.
She replied, “Very confident.”
In a 2025 Cabinet realignment, Hosein was also given additional responsibilities, including Lands & Surveys, Land Management, Squatter Regularisation, Valuation, Land Settlement Agency, Land Survey Board and EMBD, while Constitutional Reform was removed from his portfolio.
Hosein told Guardian Media yesterday that it’s been one year since Persad-Bissessar reclassified the Legal Affairs Ministry as the Land and Legal Affairs Ministry.
“Today, the ministry after one year with placing focus on land regularisation and tenure has been able to deliver on decades-old matters that were left languishing- distribution of over 800 leases to ex-Caroni workers, over 250 Certificates of Comfort, appointed close to 100 marriage officers, justices of the peace and bedside registration for births.”
He said through other agencies, his ministry has been “able to near the completion of 100 housing units for sale” soon.
“Further, the ministry has passed several pieces of legislation, notably to make the official laws of T&T digital and settled outstanding land acquisition in Tobago and Caura to make housing units available for distribution by the HDC.”
Hosein said the added responsibility will further streamline existing and burdensome land-related matters to assist with the development and regularisation of these lands.
“At the Ministry of Land and Legal Affairs, we look at the distribution of land as restoring dignity and giving citizens a future with an asset they can use as generational wealth,” he added.
He also thanked Persad-Bissessar for her faith in him and his ministry.
Among the other changes, several state enterprises were removed from the responsibility of Agriculture Minister Ravi Ratiram, including Hydrographic Surveys, PSAEL, the Agricultural Development Bank and Rincon Development Limited.
Asked about these changes and whether they represent a loss of confidence in Ratiram, the Prime Minister said, “ADB is a Financial institution which should be under the purview of MOF (Ministry of Finance). PSAEL manages large areas of land; that is why that was moved to the Ministry of Land and Legal Affairs.”
In the 2025 Cabinet realignment, Ratiram’s responsibilities were also downsized, with Lands & Surveys, Land Management, Squatter Regularisation, Land Survey Board, Land Settlement Agency and the EMBD removed from his portfolio.
Ratiram retains responsibility for crop and livestock production, marine fisheries management, forestry, and food security policy. His portfolio also encompasses state entities and programmes such as NAMDEVCO, the Cocoa Development Company, the National Reforestation Programme and the Youth Agricultural Homestead Programme. Calls and messages to Ratiram went unanswered yesterday.
Other changes include Housing Minister David Lee now handling the Home Improvement Policy and the Oropune Project, while Social Development and Family Services Minister Vandana Mohit takes responsibility for the National Commission for Self-Help Limited.
Defence Minister Wayne Sturge has been given responsibility for National Emergency/Disaster Management, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management, the National Emblems Committee and the National Mentorship Programme.
Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander has been assigned responsibility for the management of illegal immigrants and deportees.
Asked about this move, Persad-Bissessar said, “This was done to easier facilitate the next phase following the end of the migrant registration process earlier this year. Immigration is under the purview of Homeland Security.”
In the economic and agricultural portfolios, Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo takes responsibility for the Agricultural Development Bank of Trinidad and Tobago, while Rural Development and Local Government Minister Khadijah Ameen takes responsibility for Insect Vector.
Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath has also been given responsibility for On-the-Job Training. Calls and messages to his phone also went unanswered yesterday.
Energy and Energy Industries Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal is no longer responsible for TRINTOC Services Limited, while Tancoo loses responsibility for Caroni (1975) Limited, Sugar Manufacturing Company Limited and Taurus Services Limited.
Lee is no longer responsible for the Sugar Industry Labour Welfare Committee, while Sturge relinquishes responsibility for the management of illegal immigrants and deportees.
The Prime Minister is no longer responsible for the Home Improvement Policy, HVIP, GASHHP, Golden Grove Buccoo Limited, the National Commission for Self-Help Limited and the Oropune Project.
The changes represent a broad realignment of responsibilities across Cabinet.
Asked her overall feeling about the restructuring, the Prime Minister said, “As we go along, I will keep rearranging to increase efficiency and cut costs. Governance evolves, and changes need to be made to keep up.”
The changes came weeks after Persad-Bissessar shut down speculation that she was reshuffling her Cabinet.
