And that's when we also pressed him on the Supplies Control Office. That is one that has been kind of up in the air last week when we heard that Jose Mai lost it in the shuffle but then got it back. Senior sources confirmed that but the Prime Minister contradicted those sources:
Jules Vasquez
"You know also that agriculture contains the Office of Supplies Control and the Bureau of Standards. And I know that in the week before Jose Mai, fell suddenly irreparably ill with his back. He had been jostling to get, to hold on to the supplies control department."
"Now we know that supplies control is...."
"What's that?"
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I don't know where you get that story about jostling about supplies control because when I decided that its time to make the changes all along supply control would have stayed in agriculture."
Jules Vasquez
"Without naming names, I will say that there are anecdotal, strong reports reaching me that supplies control comes with a good amount of hustling and influence peddling where you can get certain permit if you pay certain people."
"How will this be managed? Will this remain with Minister Rodwell Ferguson?"
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Well it is within the Ministry of Agriculture and certainly that's something that has to continue to be managed properly."
Jules Vasquez
"And Sir, but you know, so will Rodwell Ferguson be in charge of administering those permits?"
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"He is the Minister. You have people that administer that, not necessarily the Minister. There is a team there by Minister, I think Mr Lennox, who is the head and has a lot of experience, he has come to the cabinet on more than one occasions to explain to the cabinet on the work that they are doing and why it's important from price controls to be able to importation of different products."
"So that will continue."
