Noting that government cannot function without public servants, Minister of State Joseph Harmon yesterday said that all efforts are being made to create a “strong and powerful” public service with attention being paid to training and creating links to the public though Information and Communications Technology (ICT).
Delivering the key note address at the opening ceremony of the 21st Biennial Delegates’ Conference, Harmon speaking on behalf of President David Granger said that the public service sector will be reformed to ensure that it is the best that it can be.
“You are the most important national institution with a large footprint and you discharge a very crucial function in our national life; the delivery of public service to our citizens,” he told the delegates. He described the public service as “the government”, as the country cannot function without it and this comment was met with loud applause.
“You are involved in one of the most important tasks of national life… services such as education, health, public security and infrastructure all depend on your delivery. The quality of this delivery is a chief determinant of the quality of life in our society. Our public service therefore needs to be efficient to create an environment in which our populace can have a good life,” he said.
According to Harmon, the conference is occurring at a time when the country is on a path of democratic renewal and is in pursuit of national unity.
He said that this administration is serious about the public servants, their morals and benefits. “What we are going to do in a short space of time is to indicate a new road map for the type of public servant that we are looking for in this administration and the administrations to come,” he said adding that a public service that is relevant, reliable, caters for the needs of the people and is effective is what is being sought.
He called the public service an institution of “historical knowledge and collective experiences.” Harmon stated that this must be available to the political administration at any given time so that public policy can evolve in an orderly, progressive and developmental way. In order to fulfil this function and purpose effectively, the public service must comprise men and women who are willing and able to give advice without fear or favour.
He said that this can only be achieved if the public service is “firmly based on a system of merit and political impartiality.”
“The public service is the servant of Guyana and is not the servant of any individual political party,” he said to applause.
He said that there is need for public sector reform which will entail training and improved conditions of service. This process, he said, has begun and “we are working to ensure that a different state of affairs exists within the public service.”
According to Harmon, Guyana has languished in an era where the country is being labelled as a corrupt nation. “You have to fight corruption by ensuring that you have a proper and a strong public service. This is our view of it…,” he said before informing that the public service staff college will be launched shortly. He said too that as the minister responsible for the department of public service he has already received recommendations from the union with respect to the composition of the board, the quality of lecturers and the curriculum. “I am very happy to engage the union and have them presented on the board…” he said. He later stated that government intends to give every student of the college a personal computer.
Harmon said that government is working on returning the public service to a state of professionalism and the ongoing Commission of Inquiry had been given a very clear mandate.
Meanwhile, government is looking at e-government and the provision of ICT service to make the public service more effective and efficient. “We intend as a government to adopt information technology solutions to address many of the barriers to improving the quality of public service… to make government services [available] online allowing for quicker and convenient access by citizens,” he said.
This, he said, will improve the delivery of service to citizens, create a platform for collaboration among ministries and government agencies and harmonize ICT maintenance, training, procurement and human resources in order to improve capabilities and capacities, reduce cost and attain higher efficiencies.
Harmon informed that there will be a countrywide campaign to expand internet access and a number of public internet access point and ICT hubs will be established.
