Culture of Efficiency and Accountability the Way Forward in Ensuring an Effective Public Sector – PM

Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, has said that the spirit and culture of efficiency, accountability and commitment must be the way forward in ensuring a more effective public sector.
“In order to do this, we need to determine the goals for which the sector was created. We must also seek to define the mandate and role for each agency/department and determine the appropriate structure in the achievement of the overall objectives . I believe that every public sector worker must be made to feel that his or her job is important, not only to himself/herself, but important to the system,” the Prime Minister stated.
He was addressing the Caribbean Consultative Forum for Cabinet secretaries and heads of the public service on (Oct. 11) at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Montego Bay.
The Prime Minister informed the meeting of a number of Parliamentary reforms recently undertaken, which are aimed at strengthening the Opposition and creating an effective framework for good governance.
These include elevating the Leader of the Opposition to a rank just below the Prime Minister and in line with the Deputy Prime Minister. “This will be implemented in April in the next financial year, where the Leader of the Opposition must have an office and staff, which is provided by Government and which is to be a part of the civil service establishment and not a political staff. This is providing facilities for the democratic process to work,” he stated.
In addition, he said, members of the Opposition have been invited to chair oversight committees of Parliament and the “government will be ensuring two thirds majority in Parliament, requiring the support of the Opposition in the appointment of positions that are sensitive and critical to the administration of national affairs such as Chief Justice, Commissioner of Police, President of the Court of Appeal, the Public Defender and the Contractor General”.
“We intend to amend or change the standing orders so that the ordinary/Opposition members can address the House. We want to give members an opportunity to effectively represent their constituency,” the Prime Minister added.
He expressed the hope that the forum will be successful in achieving its objectives.
The second annual Caribbean Consultative Forum is being held from October 11 to 13 under the theme: ‘Improving governance through strengthening operations at the centre of government’.