Financial Secretary Dr. Carla Barnett has resigned her post in the Ministry of Finance. Lately, it emerged that this job has been offered to Joe Waight, financial advisor, who served as Financial Secretary during the 1st term of the Musa administration. Waight he has told Government that he would accept this proposal.
Waight has worked in the Ministry of Finance since 1982, and therefore is particularly well qualified in the issues of Government finances.
It seems that Waight is ready to accept the new job despite the fact that the the spending of public funds has caused the resurgence of the debate. This could precipitate the early departure of Dr. Barnett several months before her contract would expire.
It should be noted that her sudden departure happened at the peak of the controversy over the settlement of $33 million for Universal Health Services (UHS). Before becoming Financial Secretary, Dr. Barnett was chief executive officer in the Ministry of National Development, Deputy Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and Deputy Governor of the Central Bank.
Recently, there was a series of scandals with the Government and revelations by the media that there had been material non-disclosures to Government officials, including Dr. Barnett, regarding Government’s financial commitments. As Dr. Barnett was respected in both the local and international financial community, her sudden departure is a concern to international financial institutions that had trusted her professionalism.