The head of the Maltese Public Service, Mario Cutajar (pictured) has inaugurated the first of 15 remote workplaces planned for Government workers this year.
The initial space is situated in the central town of Santa Venera and is to cater for employees at the Ministry for Energy, Enterprise and Sustainable Development.
Mr Cutajar said studies carried out by the Government clearly showed that staff affected by the COVID-19 pandemic wanted to continue working remotely, but not necessarily from home because they still preferred to get away from the home environment.
“These facilities are not only convenient and comfortable, but it is also easy to book spaces in them, and they are equipped with the best technology,” Mr Cutajar said.
“These remote workspaces are the result of studies, a pilot project, and experiences that started before the outbreak of the pandemic,” he said.
However, Mr Cutajar said the project would probably never have got off the ground if the Public Service had not had the courage to allocate €150 million ($A234 million) to technology development in recent years, arming officials with laptops and plug-and-play devices that greatly increased flexibility.
“The Public Service is also working on the design of a new policy to regulate remote working and tackle a number of aspects,” he said.
“The Institute for Public Services is to provide specific training for all workers who will work remotely, as well as management,” Mr Cutajar said.
Valetta, 16 January 2021
