NEWLY appointed Minister of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development Senator Kennedy Swaratsingh officially assumed duties on May 5.

He met with the ministry’s executive team, including permanent secretary Aarti Bedassie-Maharaj, deputy permanent secretaries, heads of department, managers and staff, to begin strategising and planning the ministry’s work programme under his watch.

A statement from the ministry said Swaratsingh “emphasised his goal is to ensure that all the plans, programmes and activities under the mandate of the ministry are done to completion at an exceedingly high level, while driving the agenda for the nation’s economy.”