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Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar selected her Cabinet today to serve Trinidad and Tobago, five days after her United National Congress (UNC) party was elected with 26 seats to the People National Movement’s 14.
Persad-Bissessar was sworn in on Thursday, alongside her attorney general John Jeremie. Today, she appointed a further 22 ministers plus four ‘junior ministers’ and five parliamentary secretaries.
Photo: Sunil Lalla.
It was almost an identical number of ministries to former prime minister Dr Keith Rowley who appointed 21 ministers and eight ‘junior ministers’ when he was elected in 2020.
Persad-Bissessar merged the ministries of Sport and Youth Affairs, which previously co-existed but had been split under the previous regime.
The Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs was again split while a Ministry of Justice was introduced for good measure. And there is now a Ministry of Defence and a Ministry of Homeland Affairs.
Curiously, though, Persad-Bissessar announced Colin Neil Gosine as parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Investment and Tourism, but nobody was announced as the head of that ministry.
(via UNC.)
There were no swearing-in for the designated minister of Trade, Investment and Tourism. One possible reason is that the chosen person was abroad or otherwise unavailable to take their oath.
In 2010, Persad-Bissessar forgot Lopinot/ Bon Air West MP Lincoln Douglas during the swearing-in ceremony and handed him the portfolio of Minister in the Ministry of the People and Social Development, a few days later.
Persad-Bissessar’s Cabinet appointments today are as follows:
Photo: Sunil Lalla.
- Roger Alexander, MP: Minister of Homeland Security.
- Khadijah Ameen, MP: Minister of Rural Development and Local Government.
- Senator Leroy Baptiste: Minister of Labour, Small & Micro Enterprise Development.
- Michelle Benjamin, MP: Minister of Culture and Community Development.
- Dr Lackram Bodoe, MP: Minister of Health.
- Dr Michael Dowlath, MP: Minister of Education.
- Saddam Hosein, MP: Minister of Legal Affairs.
- Jerlean John, MP: Minister of Works and Infrastructure.
- David Lee, MP: Minister of Housing.
- Devesh Maharaj, MP: Minister of Justice and Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General.
- Vandana Mohit, MP: Minister of the People, Social Development and Family Services.
- Dr Roodal Moonilal, MP: Minister of Energy and Energy Industries.
- Barry Padarath, MP: Minister of Public Utilities and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister.
- Senator Prakash Persad: Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills Training.
- Ravi Ratiram, MP: Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries.
- Senator Dominic Smith: Minister of Public Administration and Artificial Intelligence.
- Sean Sobers, MP: Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs.
- Wayne Sturge, MP: Minister of Defence.
- Senator Kennedy Swaratsingh: Minister of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development.
- Davedranath Tancoo, MP: Minister of Finance.
- Phillip Watts, MP: Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs.
- Senator Eli Zakour: Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation.
Photo: Office of the Parliament 2025.
- Clyde Elder, MP: Minister in the Ministry of Public Utilities
- Ernesto Kesar, MP: Minister in the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries.
- Senator Anil Roberts: Minister in the Ministry of Housing.
- Dr Rishad Seecharan, MP: Minister in the Ministry of Health.
- Senator Dr Natalie Chaitan-Maharaj: Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of the People, Social Development and Family Services.
- Senator Colin Gosine: Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Investment and Tourism.
- Nicholas Morris, MP: Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs.
- Hansen Narinesingh, MP: Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training.
- Shivanna Sam, MP: Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Public Utilities.
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Oh boy, Trinidad and Tobago now has a Ministry of Homeland Security lol. All this to stop Blacka Dan from entering TnT and winning another soca monarch title.