As soon as a new board is appointed at state-owned National Quarries Company Ltd (NQ) the matter involving the suspension of the company's CEO Sandra Fernandez will be addressed.Yesterday, Finance Minister Larry Howai in response to an e-mail by the Sunday Guardian about plans to reinstate Fernandez at NQ, or if the Government was looking for someone new to fill the position, stated that he expected a new board to be appointed by Cabinet this week.
Fernandez was suspended last month by NQ's chairman Mitra Ramkhelawan over her qualifications.Days after Fernandez's suspension, Howai fired Ramkhelawan.Howai wrote: "The board will be responsible for addressing matters pertaining to the CEO."Howai said he was not aware that workers at NQ were upset over plans to reinstate Fernandez.
"The line ministry, the Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs has been exercising some oversight of the company in light of the fact that a new board is still to be appointed and the permanent secretary of the ministry or the substantive minister may have information on these matters and may be able to comment," Howai said.