Zanzibar President makes cabinet reshuffle

{{The President of Zanzibar, Dr Ali Mohammed Shein, on Monday made a cabinet reshuffle that saw a rearrangement of various portfolios and the formation of four new ones.}}

The most notable change was the formation of an independent Finance ministry, removing it from the President’s Office.

A statement issued by the secretary of the Revolutionary Council and the Chief Secretary of the Zanzibar government, Mr Abdulhamid Yahya Mzee, named the new ministries and their ministers (in brackets) as including the President’s Office Regional Authorities and Special Departments (Mr Haji Omar Kheir) and President’s Office Labour and Public Service (Mr Haroun Ali Suleiman).

The others are the ministry of Finance (Mr Omar Yussuf Mzee) and the ministry of Empowerment, Social Welfare, Youth, Women and Children (Ms Zainab Omar Mohamed).

The Finance ministry was formerly under the President’s Office, while the Labour and Public Service docket, which used to be an independent ministry has now been placed under the President’s Office.

“The President has invoked Article 53 of the Zanzibar Constitution. In spite the re-arrangements, the number of ministries is still 16,” the statement noted.

Good Governance was under the Public Service ministry, but it has now been shifted to the President’s Office. Likewise, the Planning department has been separated from the ministry of Finance and Economy.

The reshuffle also included moving around permanent secretaries and their deputies.

The permanent secretaries with their ministries in brackets include Mr Joseph Abdalla Meza (President’s Office Regional Authorities and Special Departments), Ms Fatma Gharib Bilal (Labour and Public Service), Mr Khamis Mussa Omar (Finance) and Ms Asha Ali Abdulla (Empowerment, Social Welfare, Youth, Women and Children).

Source:{NMG}