JAMAICA
Jamaican Prime Minister, Andrew Holness (pictured) has forecast better times ahead for the country’s Public Servants, while urging them to become more efficient and to take full advantage of the country’s economic transformation.
Speaking at the centenary conference of the Jamaica Civil Service Association, Mr Holness also promised his Government would put a Public Service compensation review in place.
“The strategy that we are now employing is to ensure that we understand what the payment requirement is for the Public Service,” Mr Holness said.
“That is why we are doing a total compensation review so we can have a better understanding of how we use our existing budget to pay our workers better.”
He also foreshadowed the possibility of some services being outsourced to the private sector.
The Prime Minister noted that there would be some limited disruption with the advancements in technology that were under way.
Mr Holness recalled the Government’s divestment of the Port of Kingston in 2017.
“At the time, there were some 800 persons employed there; presently more than 1,200 persons are employed there, so that is significant employment growth,” he said.
“It means we are going to be in a different economic space; the economic space that is going to result is one where the public sector has to become more efficient.”
He acknowledged the sacrifices made by PS staff during tough economic times and said the Government had implemented measures to manage the economy effectively to prevent any reoccurrence.
“My message of hope to you is that, as the economy improves, you have the commitment of the Government that we will do everything within our powers to ensure that you can participate in the prosperity of the country,” Mr Holness said.
Kingston, 3 June 2019
