PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago — Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has undertaken a major Cabinet reshuffle, expanding her own ministerial responsibilities and renaming two key ministries in a bid to improve government coordination and operational efficiency. The changes, approved by the President on October 4 and enacted under Section 79(1) of the Constitution, reflect what officials describe as a “realignment for functionality.”
According to Minister of Public Utilities and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Barry Padarath, the reorganization is intended to “harmonise agencies and state enterprises where there is a natural fit, ensuring greater synergy and performance across ministries.”
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Under the new structure, Padarath has been assigned oversight of Power Generation, Trinidad Generation Unlimited (TGU), and Powergen, all previously managed by Dr. Roodal Moonilal, Minister of Energy and Energy Industries. Padarath noted that the new alignment reconnects the energy and utilities portfolios, which historically operated together.
He said his ministry will immediately begin reviewing power purchase agreements and examining the impact of excess power generation on the national grid, particularly as the government seeks to strengthen partnerships with commercial entities.
“During the last nine years, under the PNM administration, little progress was made in power generation. We intend to make these agreements more commercially viable and to attract new investment opportunities in this sector,” Padarath stated.
Moonilal, for his part, welcomed the shift, saying it would allow his ministry to focus on regional energy partnerships, investment expansion, and the country’s ongoing efforts to solidify its position as a hemispheric energy hub.
Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar has absorbed several new areas under her direct control, including Heritage Buildings, Constitutional Reform, the National Trust, the National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS), and the National Commission for Self-Help Limited. She also now oversees the Home Improvement Grants Policy, Housing and Village Improvement Programme (HVIP), and the Government-Aided Self-Help Housing Programme (GASHHP) — responsibilities previously distributed among the Ministries of Culture, Housing, and Public Administration.
However, the inclusion of the National Commission for Self-Help under the Prime Minister’s office has raised eyebrows. Political scientist Dr. Bishnu Ragoonath, chairman of the Council for Responsible Political Behaviour, cautioned that the agency has a history of being politically leveraged during election periods.
“The Prime Minister’s direct control of that agency suggests a deliberate move to centralize oversight,” Ragoonath said. “How she uses that authority will determine whether it proves to be a positive or controversial decision.”
Among the major changes is the renaming of the Ministry of Legal Affairs to the Ministry of Land and Legal Affairs, with Minister Saddam Hosein now overseeing Lands and Surveys, Land Management, Regularisation of Tenure and Housing for Squatters, Surveys and Mapping, Valuation, and the Estate Management and Business Development Company (EMBD).
Ragoonath noted that merging land and legal affairs could streamline state land distribution, which has been a longstanding administrative challenge.
“Putting land responsibilities under Legal Affairs can improve coordination and speed up the delivery of state lands,” he added.
The reshuffle also impacts several other key ministries. Minister of Finance Davendranath Tancoo now manages the National Health Insurance System and the Export-Import Bank (Eximbank). Minister of Justice Devesh Maharaj will now oversee the Electronic Monitoring Programme, Equal Opportunity Commission, Tax Appeal Board, and Hugh Wooding Law School. The Prison System has been reassigned from the Justice Ministry to Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander, while the Criminal Justice Unit now falls under Attorney General John Jeremie. Minister of Labour Leroy Baptiste gains responsibility for the National Entrepreneurship Development Company (NEDCO), formerly under Trade. Minister of Planning Kennedy Swaratsingh now handles Social Planning, Development, and Monitoring, while Minister of Social Development Vandana Mohit will manage the Geriatric Adolescent Partnership Programme, previously under the Youth Ministry.
The reshuffle comes amid speculation about the timing of the national budget presentation, though no date has been announced. Ragoonath dismissed claims that the Cabinet changes delayed the budget, saying the adjustments merely involve administrative transfers of line items.
“For example, shifting prisons from Justice to Homeland Security is simply a matter of reassigning budget allocations, not rewriting them,” he explained.
This latest Cabinet reshuffle — one of the most comprehensive since Persad-Bissessar’s administration took office — is widely viewed as a strategic effort to boost governmental efficiency, modernize oversight, and align ministries with the administration’s long-term development agenda.
Officials say the changes are expected to improve coordination, strengthen service delivery, and better position Trinidad and Tobago to meet emerging governance and economic challenges.
