Without any reason given, the Guyana Government yesterday terminated the services of the country’s Finance Secretary, Michael Basil Joseph.
In a letter dated November 13, 2020, signed by Attorney General Anil Nandlall, to Joseph, the AG said that he was acting on behalf of President Irfaan Ali.
“I regret to inform you that your contract for service as Finance Secretary, Ministry of Finance, dated the 1st day of November 2018 to the 31st day of December 2020, pursuant to Clause seven (7) of the schedule of the said Contract.”
The letter also directed Joseph to proceed on administrative leave with immediate effect until his contract comes to an end on December 14.
“You are also requested to return any property and records of the Government of Guyana, which may still be in your custody,” the letter stated while thanking Joseph for his services.
According to the Ministry of Finance website, Joseph hails from Stewartville on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD).
He served in Budget Director and Director of Finance capacities with the Ministry of Finance of the Government of Saint Lucia.
He also served as General Manager of the Saint Lucia Banana Corporation (SLBC), and as the Executive Finance Director on the Board of the Saint Lucia Banana Growers’ Association (SLBGA).
Besides, Joseph undertook project management consultancy assignments under the Caribbean Project for Economic Competitiveness (CPEC), designing projects for grant funding from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), in several CARICOM countries, including Guyana.
He was a Director on the Board of the Windward Islands Banana Development and Exporting Company (UK) Ltd. now WINFRESH.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree with Honors in Public Administration from the University of the West Indies (UWI.) and a Master’s degree in Finance from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland.
He also received specialised training in Public Finance from the Institute of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Public Sector Investment Programming from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) in conjunction with the Economic Development Institute (EDI) of the World Bank.
According to the website, “Joseph’s tripartite private sector, public sector, and project management conditioning, within a Caribbean space, make him a proper fit for the challenges of the Office of Finance Secretary pursuant to the good life on the horizon.”
