Joseph Smith-Abbott out of NPT; takes up new Ministry Post!
Mr. Smith-Abbott last week was named the new Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour.
The move is unclear as questions are being asked whether it is a lateral move or a promotion. He will now report to the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Mr. Ronald Smith-Berkeley and will act as Permanent Secretary in the absence of Mr. Berkeley.
It remains unclear why the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour's Assistant Secretary Mrs. Jennifer Hodge-Penn who has acting in the post as Deputy was not promoted to the post.
In the interim Smith-Abbott’s Deputy at the Trust Ms. Lynda Varlack has been named the Acting Director of the NPT.
When Virgin Islands News Online today May 6, 2014 called the Chairwoman of the Board of the NPT Ms Sheila N. Brathwaite on the matter, she said, “[Mr Smith-Abbott] is reassigned to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour and Ms Varlack has assumed the responsibilities. No official correspondence has been given to her as yet but she has assumed the responsibilities of the Director of the Parks Trust [with effect] from Monday May 5, 2014.”
This news site made attempts to reach Mr Smith-Berkeley for a comment but these attempts were unsuccessful up to post time.
This news site will bring more details as they become available.
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13 Responses to “Joseph Smith-Abbott out of NPT; takes up new Ministry Post!”
They have tried to identify places to protect but by the time they did the surveys, those places identified earlier were developed. Preservation surveys can't be done all at once because it takes too long.
I suggest district by district to at least try to protect the environment, coast line and historic structures. They also need to work with Conservation and Fisheries more.