Denis Kellman, who was sworn in as Minister of The Environment, Water Resource Management and Drainage, in place of Dr Dennis Lowe who fell ill, says there are a number of initiatives he would like to come to fruition before his tenure ends.
He told the Saturday Sun yesterday his aim was to see “all the projects the country was waiting on to get up and running”.
In an interview yesterday in the ministry’s Hincks Street office, Kellman said: “I am looking forward to a joint project with the ministries of agriculture, tourism and housing to have safe locations for fishing boats inland when bad weather happens.”
In addition he said he was looking to restore Harrisons Cave to the status of “best tourist attraction in the world” by reducing losses; eliminate the word “garbage” from the vernacular of the Sanitation Service Authority, changing it instead to “raw materials”; expanding the work of B’s Bottle Depot; ensuring the Barbados Water Authority reduce costs by reducing waste water and maintaining a reliable water supply; and ensuring the National Conservation Commission (NCC) continued to enhance the environment.
“I have also asked Beautify Barbados to focus on capital projects and leave the maintenance work to the NCC as I would like to see the whole of Barbados look like the view of Bay Street from Government headquarters so Barbados can continue to be regarded as the best kept environmental country in the world,” he said.
Asked how he would feel if he was not given another ministry when his tenure was up, Kellman said it was up to the Prime Minister [Freundel Stuart] to make any such decisions and his role was to do the best he could.
“It is not about me but about what I can do for my country, and once I do my best I am satisfied,” he said.
Kellman said he would not be upset should he not be given another ministry after his current term was up, something he said would last “as long as the PM says so”, as it was at the “calling of the PM and no man can tell him [the PM] what to do”.
“I serve at his calling and I am happy to see the country has a CEO (Chief Executive Officer) in the PM.
People don’t realize a PM has to manage his ministers and must have flexibility and this PM knows how to do this as he has a fantastic memory. You must know your past to change the future,” he said.
Kellman was sworn in as a minister on January 4 after Lowe fell ill and had to be hospitalised. Lowe has since been released from hospital but has yet to return to ministerial duties. (CA)
