Implementing the Public Service COI recommendations

Aug 24, 2022 Letters

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Dear Editor,

Samuel Goolsarran should be highly commended for calling the National Assembly and

Government to debate and consider the COI report which was submitted to His

Excellency President David Granger in May 2016 by Professor Harold Lutchman, Chair

of the Commission.

The report was also circulated to members of the National Assembly for debate and consideration. It is hoped that the Government would not throw away the baby bath water. The nation should be told of the Government’s position on the many recommendations of the CIO in the Public Service report.  The Opposition and the Guyana Public Service Union should state clearly their disposition on the many essential recommendations, including:

1. The enactment of a Public Service Law with related Regulations and a Code of

Conduct to create and develop a professional and politically neutral Public Service with

high integrity for effective management and administration.

2. The Public Service Commission (PSC) be constituted always with suitably qualified

persons of high integrity to be fair and impartial in the execution of their duty in line with

the Constitutional prescription that they exercise independent judgement and not be

influenced by political and other external considerations and influences. Clearly, the

authorities should not appoint members of the Commission who have any conflict of

interest. The National Assembly and the Government would have been negligent in the

appointment of some members of the current Commission.

3. The Constitution and other laws should be appropriately amended to empower the

Public Service Commission (PSC) to appoint permanent secretaries and regional

executive officers to remove direct political appointments to Public Service positions.

4. All appointments to Public Service positions should be by open internal and external

competition to obtain and select the best suitably qualified persons from the job market,

based on merit and free from political influences.

5. Contract employment of low-level and general staff in the Public Service should end.

However, contract employment in the Public Service should be restricted to high-level,

professional, scarce skills not available in the Public Service, and for project work. No

public servant who retires from the Public Service before attaining 65 years should be

re-employed on contract.

6. There should be a higher retirement age of 60 and 65 for public servants with

corresponding higher Public Service pensions and NIS pensions.

7. There should be a high-level representative Committee to identify, based on merit,

candidates to be awarded fellowships and scholarships.

8. The Public Service compensation system should be reviewed and redesigned within

the graded salary structure with the involvement of the GPSU, but not in conflict with

their collective bargaining negotiations, and considering pay for performance based on

a merit system.

9. The resumption of collective bargaining in good-faith encounters at negotiations, and

conciliation/mediation. Failure at these levels to resolve issues in dispute, require

reference to a mutually agreed Arbitration Tribunal in keeping with the existing

procedures, OR as recommended in the COI, to the National Assembly, based on the

recommendations of a Salaries Review Commission for final determination.

10. A Salary and Remuneration Commission be established to make recommendations

to the National Assembly on remuneration for high-level political and Public Service

offices, including the President, Vice-Presidents, Prime Minister, Ministers, Leader of

the Opposition, Members of the National Assembly, Permanent Secretaries, CEO’s of

Public Corporations, Regional Executive Officers, and Regional Chairpersons.

11. The Public Service Appellate Tribunal should be appointed to adjudicate on disputes

with the Public Service Commission.

12. The Public Service Ministry, the Public Service Commission, and the Appellate

Tribunal should be constituted with professional personnel with high integrity to rebuild

trust and confidence in the Guyana Public Service with the private and public sector

organisations.

The above recommendations are essential for good governance and management of

the Public Service, fair employment practices, and developing a professional Public

Service to serve the national community fairly. These recommendations also speak to

removing conflict of interest at professional and political levels, setting the procedure for

finality of public negotiations, and having the National Assembly setting the

remuneration of those in the governing authorities. Implementation of these and other

recommendations will rebuild confidence and trust in our country for the good of all.

With thanks and regards,

Joshua Singh

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