Barnett is new financial secretary

It had been strongly rumoured for several weeks and tonight it’s official. According to a release from the Prime Minister’s office, Financial Secretary Hugh MacSweany has been removed from his post and replaced by Dr. Carla Barnett. Barnett had been serving as CEO in the Ministry of National Development. MacSweany will now become a special advisor to the Minister of Finance in charge of computerizing Government’s financial operations and the continued oversight of its management audit. Former financial Secretary Joe Waight will move from the post of financial advisor in the Ministry of Education to a similar slot in the Ministry of Finance. Barnett’s old job as CEO has been taken by Nancy Namis. The re-deployment of these public officers is a reflection of the political realignment which saw the removal of Ralph Fonseca as Minister of Finance following the palace revolt by seven members of Cabinet in August. And in one of Barnett’s first moves in her new job she today briefed a meeting of cabinet’s finance committee and executives of the Belize National Teachers Union and the Public Service Union on the state of the nation’s economy. At that meeting Prime Minister Said Musa called on the Unions to support Government’s cost cutting measures, including proposals to raise the retirement age of public officers from fifty-five to sixty and to have new public employees come under Social Security instead of a Government pension plan.