FIJI
PS staff trained in China
Another group of Fijian Public Servants has attended a nine-day leadership training program in China.
It is the fifth time officers from the Pacific nation have attended courses at the China Executive Leadership Academy of Pudong.
Sponsored by the Chinese Government, the training is aimed at strengthening participants’ skills in the areas of public policy implementation, succession planning, project implementation and service delivery.
Speaking to the group, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Fiji, Qian Bo (pictured) said their role was “extremely important for the future of Fiji and China as well”.
Suva, 17 June 2018
KAZAKHSTAN
Pay increase to beat corruption
Kazakh Public Servants are to be given a pay rise in 2019 — some by as much as 60 per cent.
Chair of the Agency for Civil Service Affairs and Fighting Corruption, Alik Shpekbayev said the increases would vary from officer to officer, depending on their performance and the nature and complexity of the work they were doing.
“It is common knowledge that rising salaries and improvements in social security directly lead to a decline in corruption,” Mr Shpekbayev said.
He said other measures would include subsidised accommodation, pensions on retirement and support for officers’ children to attend kindergartens.
Astana, 15 June 2018
GREECE
Increase for PS numbers
The Greek Government says it plans to hire another 42,521 Public Servants in the coming years.
That figure, which includes 7,286 Municipal Authority employees, is set for the “medium-term”, covering the period 2019–22.
Currently, restrictions placed on Greece by its international creditors allow for only one new hiring for every three employees who leave the Public Service.
That ratio can be increased to one-for-one from next year.
Hirings are planned at the Ministries of Defence, Interior, Shipping, Health, Justice and Education, as well as Local Government organisations.
Athens, 15 June 2018
SINGAPORE
PS bonus maintained
Singaporean Public Servants will receive a mid-year bonus of half a month’s pay in July — the same amount as last year.
They will also receive, for the first time in almost three years, a one-off lump-sum payment of S$300 (A$297), with lower-wage workers getting S$500 (A$495).
The Public Service Division (PSD) said the decision to give the mid-year payments to 85,000 PS employees was made after close consultation with public sector unions and taking into account the recommendations of the National Wages Council (NWC).
The decision is likely to flow on to the 60,000 or so employees of Statutory Boards and other Government Agencies as has typically occurred in the past.
Singapore, 20 June 2018
CANADA
Harassment data released
The Canadian Provincial Government of Manitoba says there were 20 allegations of sexual harassment and hundreds of accusations of other misconduct involving Public Servants in the past fiscal year.
Manitoba has for the first time released statistics on the number of complaints related to harassment, bullying and misconduct.
The report said there were 12 investigations into allegations of sexual harassment and seven accusations were substantiated.
It also said there were 105 allegations of general harassment or bullying and 351 of other misconduct such as conflict of interest or attempted fraud.
Winnipeg, 15 June 2018
