Latest update November 23rd, 2024 1:00 AM
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Dr. Van West-Charles named new GWI boss
-Nigel Hinds heads new Board of Directors
A new board of the state-owned Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) has been announced with former top minister in the People’s National Congress (PNC), Dr. Van West-Charles, named the new Chief Executive.
New GWI Chairman of the Board, Nigel Hinds (seated center); Chief Executive, Dr. Richard Van West Charles (2nd L) and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communities, Emile McGarrell (2nd right standing) with the Corporate Management Team.
According to the GWI yesterday, Dr. Van West-Charles met with the Corporate Management Team on Friday with the official stating that access to safe, potable water is a priority on his list of areas for attention.
“Without a healthy society we cannot achieve the Guyana we are hoping to build,” he said, adding that “Paramount to maintaining good public health is access to safe water. Hence, this area along with water quality and GWI’s financial viability are key issues I will be addressing immediately.”
The Corporate Management Team of GWI congratulated the newly appointed Chief Executive and expressed its commitment towards providing improved services through GWI.
Dr. Van West-Charles, MD, MPH, was said to be a former Minister within the Health, Housing, Water and Environment Sectors, with the PNC prior to 1992.
His appointment took effect from Thursday last, October 1, 2015.
Dr. Van West-Charles was said to have vast experience in the area of public health including being responsible for research and bioethics.
He is the former Academic Dean of St. Helen University Medical School and Health Sciences, St. Lucia, Special Advisor Partnerships with the International Financial Institutions at the World Health Organization (WHO), Area Manager for Information and Knowledge Management, PAHO/WHO as well as PAHO/WHO Representative for Jamaica; Cayman Islands and Bermuda, among other places.
He is also a Doctor of Medicine with a Master of Public Health from the University of Michigan and a Certificate in Health Economics from University of Aberdeen, Scotland. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from McMaster University, Ontario Canada with other qualifications in Leadership and Social Development.
In May, shortly after taking office after emerging victors in the general elections, the David Granger administration sent the Chief Executive, Shaik Baksh, on leave for 72 days.
With Baksh a former minister in the previous administrations of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), it was widely expected that his contract which was about to expire would not have been renewed.
Baksh had been appointed as CEO in October 2012.
Also named yesterday was a new board.
Accountant, Nigel Hinds, is the new Chairperson while the members are engineer Charles Ceres; Emil McGarrell; David Dewar; Christina Bissessar; Savitri Singh-Sharma; Ryan Belgrave; Patricia Chase-Greene and Samantha Fedee.
According to GWI, Hinds, a Certified Public Accountant, possesses vast experience in Guyana’s financial sector as the founder and Chief Executive of Nigel Hinds Financial Services.
The life of the former Board of Directors, headed by private sector executive, Ramesh Dookhoo, came to an end on June 30, 2015.
Sitting on the previous GWI Board were: Dharamkumar Seeraj – the Vice Chairman and members Seepaul Narine; Denise King-Tudor; Tarachand Balgobin; Donald Dyal and Emile McGarrell – the current Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Water.
McGarrell was the only one retained from the previous board.
GWI is charged with the management of several water wells across the country as well as the construction of potable water systems in the new housing communities.
The entity has come under fire for a number of questionable spendings in the lead-up to the last elections.
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