Gov’t urged to invest in Public Sector Training

KINGSTON — Opposition Spokesperson on the Public Service, Natalie Neita-Headley, has called on Government to increase investment in the training of public sector workers, noting that they are key partners in the process of governance.

“Public sector workers are the eyes, ears, hands and feet of Government; they are partners with Government,” Mrs. Neita-Headley said on Wednesday (May 4) during her contribution to the 2011/12 budget debate in the House of Representatives.

“It is their feedback, which facilitates accurate evaluation of programme initiatives, it is their proper implementation of programmes, which ensures the efficient operation and the smooth flow of governance generally,” she added.

According to Mrs. Neita-Headley properly trained, quality public servants are an enduring asset to Jamaica, whether they remain in the public service or transfer to private enterprises. On the other hand, she argued, workers who are poorly trained do not perform satisfactorily and the impact is felt by all of society.

“We have always maintained that an investment in the public sector is an investment in Jamaica’s social capital. It is an investment in the quality society we are building and striving for,” she said.

The Opposition Spokesperson, in the meantime, said that public servants must be consulted on issues, which affect their welfare.

She said that public servants, over years, have demonstrated that they put country first, which is evident in the landmark Memoranda of Understanding between Government and unions representing these workers. 

“We can trust the public servants and the union to come to the table. There must be genuine efforts to reposition public servants from the periphery to the centre of the policymaking process, so that they are not merely passive observers but active participants in decisions that impact their careers and their lives,” Mrs. Neita-Headley said.

By LATONYA LINTON, JIS Reporter