By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Financial Services Minister Ryan Pinder said yesterday that he “supports entirely” the appointment of Sea Breeze MP Hope Strachan as the new minister in charge of financial services.

Mr Pinder said he has no problem backing the former minister of state in the Ministry of Transport and Aviation in her new post.

“She knows that she can call me at any time ... we are still parliamentary colleagues, we are still political colleagues she knows I am here for her,” he said.

There has been some public debate over the appointment of Mrs Strachan since the government announced a Cabinet shuffle on Sunday.

On Tuesday The Tribune reported that chairman of the Free National Movement, Michael Pintard questioned the decision to appoint Mrs Strachan to the post. He suggested that it would have made more sense to put the ministry under the portfolio of a minister who currently deals with economic issues.

Mr Pintard said: “Given the financial state of the country at this time, however, I would have thought that the prime minister would have looked at one of the sitting Cabinet ministers presently managing one area of the portfolio and seek to have that minister work in that area.

“Given the state of the economy and the PLP being unable to produce what they said they would, Khaalis Rolle could have given attention to investments and address issues facing the financial services sector, for instance.”

Mr Pintard added: “I know, having worked with Hope Strachan in the Senate, that she’s a very committed Bahamian. What expertise she has I am uncertain of, but I do believe that she’s a very committed person.”

On Sunday, Mrs Strachan told The Tribune that her legal background would play a pivotal role in the way she will lead the ministry.

She said: “Looking forward, we have quite a number of major issues on the drawing board as it relates to FATCA (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), the WTO (World Trade Organisation) accession – those are the major issues we will be looking into. Also how to increase our market share and actually bring in new products for new areas.”

Mr Pinder said Mrs Strachan “is more than capable” to take over the post.

The MP for Elizabeth stressed that despite his resignation from Cabinet he has no plans to leave his constituency. “Nominations have to go through the party process, but I intend to offer myself again in 2017.”

On Sunday it was also revealed that Mount Moriah MP Arnold Forbes will become the new state minister in the Ministry of Works and Nassau Village MP Dion Smith will replace Mr Forbes as chairman of the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation. The appointments all take effect on January 12.

Mr Pinder resigned from his post in December to take up a senior position with Deltec Bank.