Promotion by seniority being reviewed

GOVERNMENT will give consideration to the live broadcast of Parliament as part of its improvement of the traditional Government Information Service (GIS). In addition, the promotion of public servants by seniority is being reviewed to also include promotions based on an evaluation process.

The disclosures were made yesterday by Dr Lenny Saith, Minister of Public Administration and Information during debate of the Budget in the Senate. Saith said the concept of the GIS being a “propaganda machine” has to change and consultants would be brought in to assist Government in the process. He spoke of making the service a mechanism to broadcast programmes relating to distance education and promotion of the arts. He said consideration would be given to the purchase or lease of blocks of time to broadcast information about Government. Asked by Independent Senator Professor Ramesh Deosaran whether consideration would be given for the broadcast of parliament, Saith categorically stated, “Yes because it is considered public education.” However he did not state when such a measure might be implemented.

Saith also said that in terms of  modernising the public service, “We have to move away from how appointments are made.” He said the process must no longer be based on seniority alone and Government was working with the Public Services Commission (PSC) to develop tools to include other components, like an evaluation process. He said so far the discussions have been fruitful. The Minister said as a first step, the appointment of deputy permanent secretaries, an exercise of  “objective measurement” would be used to determine if the persons were competent for the job. He said the development of criteria for other jobs will be done.

Further, Saith said in an effort to continue to train public servants development scholarships would be re-introduced. He explained that the scholarships would be given to those persons who required special skills pertaining to the position they hold in the public service. Saith said constant reviews had to be done to determine if what was being offered by the public service was needed. He said based on the value for money concept, the focus must be results oriented rather than on the process within the service. The Minister further reiterated that by the end of next year there would be liberalisation of the telecommunications sector as Government seeks to promulgate the Telecommunications Act.