Civil Servants Honoured for Long and Dedicated Service

A total of 385 civil servants who have served for more than 25 years each have been honoured by the Government for their invaluable and dedicated service to Jamaica.

During the Jamaica Civil Service long-service awards ceremony, held on the lawns of King’s House on November 21, medals were presented to recipients for their sterling contributions.

They were presented by Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen; Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness; Member of Parliament for South St. Andrew, Mark Golding, who represented Leader of the Opposition, Dr. Peter Phillips; and Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke.

In his remarks, Dr. Clarke thanked the honourees for their steadfast service and hard work, noting that they have been and continue to be role models for others.

He said the awardees and the civil service at large have committed and continue to commit to continuously improve the efficiency of the service that they provide.

“As we continue to evolve using technology and embracing the general shift in how business is conducted, we continue to require and lean on meaningful partnerships with and within various ministries, departments and agencies to truly be able to achieve a transformed public sector,” Dr. Clarke said.

“We continue to work together to re-engineer policies, reduce duplication and waste, to overhaul and revamp the compensation structure and system and to implement shared services to improve the delivery of key services,” he added.

In a citation encapsulating the Government’s appreciation for the work of civil servants, this year’s honourees were praised for their roles in assisting in advancing the sustainable growth and national development of Jamaica.

“You have participated in and delivered the developmental agenda, public policy and programmes of the Government that have continued to evolve under the Public Sector Modernisation and Transformation ethic,” the citation noted.

“Your stewardship and implementation of these transformational initiatives contributed critically to Jamaica’s performance as a viable State through the tumultuous trials of the globalisation of the 1990s and the more recent characterisations of economic challenges which give rise to domestic fiscal and social complications,” it added.