Finance Ministry Praised for Successful Inaugural Staging of ‘At Your Service’ Expo

The Ministry of Finance and the Public Service has been praised for the successful staging of its inaugural ‘At Your Service’ expo.

The event, which took place on Wednesday (October 4) at the AC Hotel by Marriott Kingston, enabled patrons to access several services provided by the Ministry.

Sixteen interactive booths were available for the public, showcasing the services offered by portfolio agencies and departments.

Director of Customer Service at the Ministry, Rory Stennett, expressed gratitude to all stakeholders contributing to the expo’s success.

“We are thankful to the wider ministerial portfolio for being open and available to try something new. We all achieved our goals and have proven that we need to be more accessible to the public and to tell the story of great careers in public service. What a fulfilling and engaging experience, not just for us who had a chance to serve but for those whom we served at our event,” he told JIS News.

The Financial Investigations Division (FID) was among the participating agencies.

Brand Communications Specialist at the FID, Garth Williams, said they were able to share vital information with patrons, specifically students.

“We had a ballpark [figure] of about 1,000 people coming through, students, the elderly, [and] those who were retired. We had people who are still employed, government, private sector, a wide range [of persons], and they were really interested in hearing about the FID,” he pointed out.

Also participating was the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN), whose Corporate Communications Manager, Georgia Garvey Green, told JIS News that persons were receptive of the agency’s presentations.

“A lot of persons did not know exactly what we do at the Statistical Institute of Jamaica. Most persons were familiar with the census, but not with our other surveys and publications that we have. It gave us an opportunity to interact with persons and to explain more about what we do and how they can access the information through our library or our website,” Mrs. Garvey Green said.

One attendee, who identified herself as “Angie”, said she was pleasantly surprised by the services she received.

“It was very intriguing [and] very informative. You got to learn more about the business of the Ministry of Finance, you got to interact with the persons about your taxes and, also, I didn’t even know that you could go to a broker and invest with the Government. It was great,” she said.

Student, Caseylee Campbell, similarly “found the expo quite informative”.

“I appreciated every booth I visited… . It went above my expectations. Where it was held and how they were able to put all the booths underneath the Ministry of Finance, I love that,” she said.

The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ), Tax Administration [Jamaica] (TAJ), the Jamaica Deposit Insurance Corporation (JDIC), and Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) were some of the other participating entities.