New Cabinet expected to turn more plans into policy

 

Social commentator Sandré Rhoden says, while several government ministers who were returned to the Cabinet last week performed reasonably well in their respective portfolios, they fell short when it came to turning plans into policy.

 

Mr. Rhoden notes that the major role of the country's governance infrastructure is policy implementation and policy direction. 

 

He says more of this is expected of ministers during the new term and at faster rates. 

 

"Which is why the Prime Minister appointed Ambassador Audrey Marks to see how we can speed things up because that might give the wrong impression of some ministers as well because a lot of things are in the pipeline, in the pipeline being planned and then you don't hear about it, so it might skew your perception of what they're doing. So yes, a lot of ministers have done good jobs. Could we see more? Definitely, we could see more. And I'm speaking specifically around that aspect of policies," the commentator explained.

 

At the same time, Mr. Rhoden said on the basis of continuity, he is not surprised that the ministers whom he found wanting were reappointed by Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness.

 

"Because for persons who could be doing more, he has twinned them with state ministers to say listen, learn, understudy. And they have indicated that they are literally on their way out. Do I think he was going to do a great shuffle now? No. Do I think he will do a great shuffle later on in the term? Definitely, because it's a third term. And if you literally don't step up, the Prime Minister now, he's within his right, setting his legacy to say, hey, if you're not delivering on these priorities that I've given you, I'm going to have to put somebody else there. I think that's what we'll see throughout the term," he reasoned.

 

Mr. Rhoden was a guest Monday on TVJ's Smile Jamaica.