Implementing the Public Service COI recommendations

Jul 26, 2025 Letters

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Dear Editor,

Kaieteur News – This is a call on the National Assembly to debate and consider the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into Public Service. The COI report which was submitted to then 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 will not throw away the baby bath water. Should the nation be told of the Government’s position on the many recommendations of the CIO in the Public Service report? What is the Government and the Guyana Public Serve Union 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 people 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 people 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 requires 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-President, Prime Minister, Ministers, Leader of the Opposition, Members of the National Assembly, Permanent Secretaries, CEOs 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 organizations.

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 remove 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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• Commission of Inquiry, Joshua Singh, National Assembly, public service

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