John Culatto
NEW Gibraltar government ministers have been exploring the new responsibilities they will oversee for the next four years.
It follows a hard fought campaign that saw the GSLP/Liberal Alliance come through as winners of a tight race against the GSD in the October 12 election.
New ministers Nigel Feetham, Christian Santos, Leslie Bruzon, Gemma Arias-Vasquez and Patricia Orfila have been busy exploring their new portfolios since last week.
They have had to take on more responsibilities than expected after Liberal candidate Vijay Daryanani was voted out of parliament.
Minister for Financial Services Nigel Feetham hosted a gathering for over 300 guests at London’s historic Guildhall on Monday.
As a distinguished lawyer in the field, he spoke about ‘the need for diversification and innovation’ in financial services.
The minister for public services last week made a surprise visit to national telephone company Gibtelecom, followed by a trip to the Royal Gibraltar Post Office.
“My aim in these first few weeks of Office is to personally connect with staff across the departments in my areas of responsibility and to reach out to as many team members as possible,” Feetham said.
“Following these informal visits, I plan to conduct more formal meetings with senior management in the week after next, upon my return from official travels.”
He also visited the police station as he is also minister for justice where he met Commissioner Richard Ullger and other top officers.
“Theirs is a difficult job and I look forward to providing them with not only my gratitude but also my full and unstinting support,” Feetham said.
Minister for Youth Christian Santos met the Youth Service Senior Team recently where he was well-received by youth workers.
He also started to get used to his new unexpected role as Minister for Tourism by welcoming the P&O Cruises’ MS Arvia to Gibraltar.
The Arvia is the largest ship to be commissioned for the British cruise market and has capacity for 5,000 passengers and 1,800 crew.
Santos said took over where former Vijay Daryanani left off, after the Liberal Candidate lost his place in parliament at the recent election.
“We welcome a vessel of this size to our port, giving us an opportunity to showcase the tourist attractions, the historically rich sites and the culturally diverse community Gibraltar has to offer,” Santos said.
“It was a pleasure to go on board and tour this exceptional ship and I look forward to seeing it return again soon.”
Chief Minister Fabian Picardo also visited some of the new departments that have come under his care after the election.
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