BARBADOS
PS standards declining
A former top banker, Dr DeLisle Worrell (pictured) has slammed the Barbados Public Service for its “alarming decline from its gold standard quality” of half a century ago.
Dr Worrell, a former Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados, said that in the past the Queen Elizabeth Hospital attracted patients from the entire Eastern Caribbean, while Barbados and Guyana used to be champions in secondary school achievement in the region.
“Barbados was reputed to be the only Caribbean country with an efficient, high-yielding income tax … the contrast with the Public Service of today is stark,” Dr Worrell said.
“Public Services in the rest of the Caribbean have improved somewhat, but the quality of public service in Barbados has declined alarmingly.”
He said remedial action must be taken.
Bridgetown, 6 May 2018
UNITED STATES
New York goes gender-neutral
The New York State Assembly has approved a Bill that will officially remove the terms “policeman” and “fireman” from State law.
The Bill will replace the descriptions with the gender-neutral “firefighter” and “police officer”.
Announcing the change, Speaker of the Assembly, Carl Heastie said the changes reflected the fact that women were an important part of Police and Fire Departments Statewide.
The measure was approved by the State Senate last month and now goes to Governor, Andrew Cuomo for signature.
Albany, 4 May 2018
UNITED KINGDOM
Telco angry over PS pension
The BT Group says it may take legal action against the UK Government over legislative changes that increase its pension liability for former Public Servants who worked for it.
BT was formally British Telecom and its pension scheme retains a link to the Public Service scheme, dating back to the period before the company’s privatisation in the 1980s.
The company had earlier warned the Government that its planned changes would add £100 million (A$182 million) to its pension scheme, with greater rises likely in the future.
The changes are understood to encompass several thousand BT scheme members, and the company is apparently angered by the fact that alternatives it had suggested for honouring the commitments had been ignored.
London, 8 May 2018
ZAMBIA
PS transfers break up families
Zambian Public Servants are protesting at arbitrary transfers, often to remote parts of the country, which are disrupting their marriages.
The Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (CSAWUZ) has taken up the cause, stating that many of the transfers were being implemented with no consideration for families.
“Some of the transfers are separating families, threatening the core of the family,” CSAWUZ said.
“There are rules and regulations on how a public officer should be transferred and these should be adhered to.”
The union agreed that every PS employee accepted they could be sent to work anywhere in Zambia when they were first hired; however, it said some transfers were irregular and amounted to intimidation and harassment.
Lusaka, 7 May 2018
UNITED STATES
Republicans back PS loans
Opposition to the Trump Administration’s plan to cut the US Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program is now coming from within the President’s own party, with 13 Republican Members of the House of Representatives calling for it to be preserved.
In a letter to the Chair of the House Education Committee, Virginia Foxx, the Republicans focused on how loan forgiveness could help in addressing a shortage of public health professionals.
“Public sector employers in our communities have told us that PSLF has transformed their workplaces,” the lawmakers wrote.
“It helps recruit and retain top talent, making workforces more efficient and effective and saving time and money on recruitment and training.”
Washington, DC, 9 May 2018
LIBERIA
Job fears for PS favourites
A leaked memo is raising fears that the Liberian Government is quietly installing its supporters into key positions in the Public Service.
This comes after Chair of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Mulbah Morlu is believed to have sent a list of “favoured appointments” to several Government Departments, including the state-run Liberia Petroleum and Refinery Company, the Liberia Revenue Authority and the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation.
Mr Morlu has declined to discuss the list with the media.
However, spokesperson for the Civil Service Agency, Moses Owen Brown said the vacancies had been created by staff who had reached retirement age.
He agreed that some of the positions would be filled by CDC recommendations, but said all had been vetted and found to be suitable for their various tasks.
Monrovia, 5 May 2018
INDIA
Marks reveal tough PS exams
The Indian Union Public Service Commission has released the marks obtained by successful candidates in the annual examinations for the Central Public Service, showing that first rank-holder, Durishetty Anudeep scored 55.6 per cent.
Anu Kumari, who came second, secured 55.5 per cent and Sachin Gupta, who ranked third, scored 55.4 per cent.
The last candidate to qualify, Himankshi Bharadwaj, who placed at 990, received 40.98 per cent.
The marks reflect the tough standard of the examination, which is the only path by which Indians can enter their Public Service.
A total of 957,590 candidates applied for the examination and 456,625 actually took it.
New Delhi, 7 May 2018
SIERRA LEONE
PS to be ‘cleansed’
The Sierra Leone Government has announced that it intends to “cleanse” the Public Service of what it describes as “undesirable elements” with the aim of maximising efficiency.
The Office of the Head of the Civil Service has ordered all senior Government officials to submit their curriculum vitae and photocopies of relevant certificates, diplomas and degrees to the Office of Human Resources Management for review and verification.
Those affected have until 17 May to comply.
The move has been praised by some commentators, who say it will rid the system of ineffective PS staff appointed to critical positions for political reasons, but others fear the prospect of victimisation for those with ties to the Opposition.
Freetown, 10 May 2018
