SER says appointment delays held up formal advice in 2025

The Social Economic Council (SER) said in its 2025 Annual Report, dated Monday 26 October, that delays at the Ministry of General Affairs in formalising appointments prevented the council from issuing advice and added about three months to its work.

The SER said chairman Harlec G.F. Doran was elected in September 2024, but it took about five months for Government to finalise the National Decree formalising his appointment. The council recorded reminders dated 9 September, 25 October and 12 November 2025. It said Article 21, paragraph 1, of the National Ordinance SER prevented advice from being validly signed without the decree.

The report also identified an unfinalised appointment for a nominee of the Windward Islands Civil Servants Union/Private Sector Union. The SER said its board had been reinstated in 2025 and that it completed 10 advisory reports while addressing a backlog dating to 2023. Those reports included work on bus tariffs, early childhood development funding, a proposed Visitor’s Tax and the Sustainable Affordable Accessible Health Care Act.

The SER said its board held 23 meetings in 2025, including about six extraordinary meetings. It reported expenditure of Cg1,162,513 against a budget of Cg1,365,174, citing an unfilled staff position and lower material costs. The council said the figures had not yet been verified against Government’s 2025 financial statements.