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Minor Cabinet Reshuffle - Balban Returns To Traffic And Transport, Linares Takes On Employment

The Chief Minister has recommended to His Excellency the Governor the change of a small number of ministerial portfolios.

A statement continued: “This minor reshuffle of the Cabinet occurred this morning, during the meeting of the Cabinet, where the changes were discussed and agreed with Cabinet colleagues, in order to prepare the structure for the challenges to come in relation to the negotiations for a future relationship between Gibraltar and the European Union and also COVID-19.

“The tweaking of responsibilities are designed in part to allow the Minister for Business and Tourism Vijay Daryanani to devote more time to marketing Gibraltar in both these important areas where we hope to rebuild and reconstruct the economy and on which he is doing a sterling job of attracting business to Gibraltar and helping Gibraltar businesses grow. This is a critical juncture when the UK, Europe and the World hope to emerge from the pandemic and Gibraltar must be poised to take advantage of the moment.

“The final distribution of portfolios is as follows:

“Sir Joe Bossano will retain his existing portfolios and has been appointed Minister with responsibility for Social Security, in addition to his current responsibilities.
Sir Joe has extensive experience in this area and will lead the positive reform required.

“Steven Linares will forgo his responsibility for technical services and, in addition to his remaining responsibilities, has been appointed Minister for Employment, Health and Safety, including the Industrial Tribunal.

“Paul Balban has relinquished employment and social security and has been appointed Minister for Transport and Technical Services. This is road traffic and transport within Gibraltar where Minister Balban already has previous experience.”

The Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said:

“It is crucial that we are flexible with the Ministerial team in order to ensure that they have the time to deliver on the central objectives that will be required of them. I now want Vijay to concentrate on the marketing of Gibraltar for business and tourists as the world emerges from the shadow of the pandemic. I want Sir Joe to look at the whole question of social security and the equalisation of the pensionable age between men and women, Steven to deal with Employment as effectively as he has dealt with Housing and Paul to use his experience in relation to traffic matters and the strategic traffic and transport plan. I believe this minor reconfiguration will really help to better hone the skills of ministers to their responsibilities. I now look forward to the debate on the estimates next month with this well calibrated ministerial team. We discussed these proposed changes collegiately in Cabinet today and I made the recommendations immediately after that to His Excellency the Governor.”