PM Mercelina says VSA Ministerial candidate screening nears completion

GREAT BAY--Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina said Wednesday that the process to appoint a new Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor, VSA, is nearing completion, with the government now awaiting the final outcome of the required screening.

Mercelina said all necessary documents have been submitted on behalf of the identified candidate. The remaining step is the completion of the inquiry conducted by the National Security Service, VDSM, which is required before a prospective minister can be approved and sworn into office.

“All the required documents have been submitted for the potential candidate for VSA,” Mercelina said. “The only thing we are waiting on is the outcome of the VDSM inquiry, which must always take place before a potential candidate can be approved and sworn in as minister.”

The Prime Minister said he expects to receive the final VDSM report concerning the candidate this week.

Once completed, the report will be submitted to Governor Ajamu Baly and the Prime Minister in his capacity as leader of the government.

Mercelina said the next step will be to meet with the Governor to discuss the outcome of the screening process and, once the necessary procedures have been completed, determine a date for the candidate’s inauguration.

The Prime Minister did not identify the candidate or provide a specific date for the swearing-in.

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