A news article recently published in one of our prominent newspapers highlighted the allegations of excessive spending by National Gas Company (NGC) communications department. These allegations were used as a platform for the Oilfields Workers Trade Union president general Ancel Roget and the People's National Movement to call for the board and line minister to be removed. The call to include the line minister is frivolous and misleading for a number of reasons.
The role of a minister is to provide general policy direction and guidance to a State enterprise. The minister provides this to a board of directors. A State enterprise such as the NGC is not a department of the Ministry of Energy, nor does it receive a subvention from the Ministry of Energy. The NGC is a company under the Companies Act with a board of directors. The minister and the board are not responsible for managing the company.
It is the role of the management to manage the company. This is why the company has a president and vice presidents and other managers. The minister does not get involved in the day to day affairs of the NGC or for that matter any State enterprise. The minister cannot be held accountable for the actions of any department of the NGC such as the corporate communications department.
It seems that there is a general misunderstanding of the role of a minister in relation to a State enterprise by past administrations. The NGC has some 1000 employees. Should the minister be held responsible for the individual judgement of all 1000 employees? This is illogical and therefore we need to clear the air on matters like these.
Dr Paula Ramjohn
Energy Consultant
via email