SearchArchives for February 2010
23 February, 2010PAKISTAN
Report finds PS has collapsed
A report from the International Crisis Group has found that Pakistan’s Public Service is incapable of providing effective governance and basic services.
The independent, non-governmental advocacy group found that decades of mismanagement, political manipulation and corruption had made Pakistan’s Public Service “incapable” of providing effective governance and basic services.
The ICG also found that public perceptions of the country’s Public Service were poor, with government employees seen as unresponsive and corrupt.
“General Pervez Musharraf’s eight-year military rule left behind a demoralised and inefficient bureaucracy that was used to ensure regime survival,” the ICG said.
However, it said the problems dated back decades, with archaic rules, low salaries and little accountability also contributing to the current situation.
The report found Pakistan’s poor was most heavily affected.
“With citizens increasingly affected by conflict and militancy, including millions displaced by fighting in the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), the government’s ability to ensure law and order and provide services such as education and health care will be vital to winning the hearts and minds of the public, and restoring links between the citizen and the state,” the ICG said.
The ICG urged the country’s major political parties to resist the urge to use the Public Service for their own short-term political advantage and instead invest the resources and political capital needed to enhance the bureaucracy’s effectiveness.
“The government’s inability to deliver basic services and good governance could provide an ambitious military leadership the opportunity to intervene,” the ICG said.
“If the flaws of an unreformed bureaucracy are not urgently addressed, the government risks losing public support.”
The ICG said recommendations of the National Commission on Government Reforms, established by the military regime in 2006, could help reform the civil service.
The ICG made several recommendations including increasing salaries for civil servants, improving training, introducing competitive compensation and benefits to attract better instructors, and introducing a transparent selection process.
It said that military interference could be eliminated by ending the practice of hiring retired military officers and abolishing the annual 10 per cent quota reserved for them. Former or current military personnel should also be banned from heading any institution dealing with civil service training and recruitment.
The ICG also said the functions of federal and provincial secretariats should be improved, accountability over the civil bureaucracy enhanced and the opportunity for political manipulation of the Public Service eliminated.
23 February, 2010
UNITED KINGDOM
Department head rejects Minister’s plan
A Departmental Secretary in the United Kingdom’s Civil Service has refused to back his Minister’s plan to reform Local Government saying it would be a waste of money.
Peter Housden, Permanent Secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government, has written to his Minister, John Denham, saying plans to allow the Exeter and Norwich local authorities to take over all functions of local Government including schools, road building, social care and more, could not guarantee “value for money”.
“My main concern about your proposed course has to be value for money,” Mr Housden wrote in the letter.
“It would impact adversely on the financial position of the public sector as compared with the alternative courses of action open to you.”
He said the Ministerial code allowed the Minister to “instruct” Mr Housden to go ahead with the plan under a procedure that would absolve him of personal responsibility for decisions that breach financial propriety rules.
Mr Denham responded in a letter instructing Mr Housden to proceed because it was the best course of action for the people of Norwich and Exeter. However, he delayed extending the policy to a third Council in Suffolk pending a debate on what form it should take.
The Government says the “unitary authorities” would be more economically efficient.
A spokesman for the Department said the correspondence between Mr Housden and Mr Denham was not a rift.
“It was proper for the permanent secretary as accounting officer for the Department to draw attention to the fact that Ministers had not chosen the cheapest option,” the spokesman said.
“It was equally proper for the Secretary of State to set out Ministers’ reasons for doing so,” he said.
23 February, 2010
CANADA
Public Servants fear for pensions
Canadian Public Servants have resorted to launching a petition to urge the Government to keep its hands off their pensions.
They hope to get 100,000 signatures as a pre-emptive measure following statements by the President of the Treasury Board, Stockwell Day that the Government should bring the deficit under control through spending cuts.
“Just as Canadians have made significant sacrifices to maintain their own finances they expect their government to do the same,” Mr Day said.
The Government has pledged not to raise taxes in its attempts to reduce the $56 billion deficit, leading to concerns about program expenditure, salaries and pensions.
Representatives from the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Professional Institute of the Public Service met with Mr Day to discuss PS workforce issues.
“Silence sometimes gets our members worried,” said John Gordon, president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada.
However, Mr Gordon said Mr Day had told him there was no plan for a “slash and burn” approach to the Public Service, and that the integrity of pension plans would remain in place.
“It is something to build on,” Mr. Gordon said.
“But it doesn’t give much detail and leaves the door open.”
A regional representative for the Public Service Alliance, Mary MacNeil said while the Government had not officially said it would be cutting public sector pensions, she had heard rumours this was the case.
“The Federal Budget is coming down March 4 so we decided to send a strong message to the Federal government,” Ms MacNeil said.
“The message is to keep your hands off our pensions.”
23 February, 2010
SCOTLAND
Call to scrap all qangos
A reformist think-tank in Scotland has called for all Government-run non-Government organisations (or Qangos) to be scrapped and their responsibilities handed over to independently run non-Government bodies.
Reform Scotland in its report Democratic Power said the new bodies would improve accountability and economic efficiency of the nation’s 115 qangos, which account for 43 per cent of Scottish Government annual spending.
While Scottish National Party administration had drafted legislation to reform qangos, for instance by forcing them to be more transparent over spending, the author of the report, Reform Scotland Director Geoff Mawdsley said it did not go far enough.
“The paper sets out to end the way so many Government decisions are carried out through qangos and instead ensure that power is exercised in a transparent and accountable way,” Mr Mawdsley said, “either directly by government or by organisations genuinely independent of government.”
He said while the number of qangos had fallen over the last decade, qango employees had risen by 50 per cent and there had been criticism of their pay packets.
Mr Mawdsley said there would be efficiencies if a qango was brought back into Government control, while efficiency would also improve if it became an independent body because it would have contractual obligations.
Mr Mawdsley said major reform of the bodies was possible and highlighted different ways in which change could occur.
For instance he said, the tourism body VisitScotland should be reincorporated into Government with many of its functions then devolved to local authorities.
He said the National Museums of Scotland should become fully independent to allow it to bid for non-Governmental funding.
The think-tank has also proposed that the economic agency, Scottish Enterprise, be taken back into the Government to ensure full accountability.
A spokesperson for the Government defended its PS policies saying the Government was making “radical and ambitious” reforms to enhance the public sector.
23 February, 2010
MALAYSIA
PS called on to speed up
ThePrime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has called on the Public Service to speed up its delivery of Government programs.
Mr Najib said prompt service was often needed to ensure success of the Government initiatives.
“Speed of delivery must be given greater emphasis to actualise the ‘People First’ concept,” Mr Najib said, stressing that the ‘People First’ concept was about delivering promises made to the people, not just sloganeering.
He said service delivery time had been achieved in a number of areas, including passport application and approval.
“Passport renewal took many days before but now we have managed to cut down the delivery time to only one hour,” he said.
Mr Najib unveiled four elements of the Government Agenda 2010 - National Unity, Government Transformation Program, the New Economic Model and the 10th Malaysia Plan.
Factoring speed into the Government Agenda for 2010 would ensure more competitiveness and productivity, he said.
Mr Najib called on the Public Service to think and innovate when carrying out its duties.
23 February, 2010
UNITED KINGDOM
Study finds PS pay on par with private sector
A report into Public Service pay rates in the United Kingdom has found that PS pay is in line with the private sector when age and educational qualifications are taken into account.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies found that Public Servants had, on average, higher qualifications than the private sector because they often provided ‘skill-intensive’ services such as health and education.
“As a result, raw comparisons between the two sectors will overestimate the public sector pay premium,” the IFS said.
Senior research economist at IFS, Antoine Bozio, said the public sector pay bill had risen steadily from 2000 to 2005, with some of the rise reflecting increases in employment among the most highly skilled workers.
Mr Bozio said, for example, that the number of doctors rose by roughly 50 per cent during that time and there was little point comparing the pay of surgeons for example, with that of average private sector workers.
“As a practical matter, although average public sector male pay is 19 per cent higher than that of private sector workers – and for women, the differential is 26 per cent – when adjusted for level of educational attainment and age, male public sector pay is roughly equal to that of private sector counterparts,” he said.
He also said the perception that the ranks of the Public Service had grown, along with their pay, was contradicted by the evidence.
“Employment in public administration in the Civil Service and other public bodies rose by 1 per cent and 4 per cent respectively between 2000 and 2005,” he said.
The IFS found that an area in which PS staff were definitely ahead of the private sector was in pension benefits where their value at 26 per cent of pay in the PS compared to 19 per cent in the private sector.
Mr Bozio noted however that this too was declining, with staff who joined the PS in 2007 and 2008 receiving less generous entitlements than longer-serving employees.
He also found that PS staff with low levels of education received pensions that were only slightly better than those in the private sector.
23 February, 2010
INDIA
PS in need of improved ethics
The Vice-President of India, Hamid Ansari has called for a “consolidation of ethics in administration” to improve the community’s confidence in Government and the Public Service.
Mr Ansari, delivering the RCVP Noronha Memorial Lecture, said consolidation of ethical values in politics must be the starting point for an ethical framework for governance.
He said there were actions the civil service could take to bring about a more humane and ethical governance structure.
“The ultimate object of good governance and public service is people’s welfare,” he said.
“The public servants cannot do justice to their job and the provisions of constitution without assimilating this spirit.
“Any failure and insufficient delivery in this regard could propel public anger, whose manifestations could be predictable.”
Stressing the importance of integrity, Mr Ansari said public servants had an obligation to protect India’s constitutional ideals and to uphold the rule of law.
Pointing to some states in which IAS/IPS officers conduct peer reviews in relation to corruption, Mr Ansari suggested this could be extended to cover other areas of work.
For instance, District Magistrates had become “agents of social and economic change” and could lead by example in society.
Mr Ansari said Public Servants could emulate Noronha, the first Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh, who the Vice-President praised for his commitment to uplifting tribal and public welfare.
23 February, 2010
SOUTH AFRICA
Top-level taskforce to save billions
A high-powered Ministerial Taskforce has been established by the South African Minister for Finance to find savings of R6.5-billion (A$945 million) this year and R23-billion (A$3.34 billion) over the next three years.
The Minister, Pravin Gordhan, said the team, which is also examining ways to rationalise Government entities and Agencies, would be a first step towards getting “better value for money”.
“Too often, the culture in the Public Service and in State-owned enterprises is to ratchet up salaries, spend on frills, travel in luxury, and spend more on marketing the agency than in fixing the service,” he said.
Members of the new taskforce include Mr Gordhan; Minister for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, Collins Chabane; and Minister for Public Service and Administration, Richard Baloyi.
Mr Gordhan said also on the team’s agenda were preparations for a set of recommendations to strengthen and “fraud-proof” the state’s procurement processes. He said this would involve a review of supply chain policies, the streamlining of approval of major Government contracts, and training officials in best practices.
He said companies and individuals involved in corrupt practices could be blacklisted, and investigation and prosecution capabilities improved.
A supply chain compliance unit established in the National Treasury, would work with the police’s Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate tenders where there were corruption concerns.
The supply chain compliance unit had outlined five trends around fraud in the procurement system, he said. These included tender procedures not being followed, goods or services procured to Government at inflated prices, Government officials benefiting from tenders, Government Agencies and Departments ordering unnecessary goods and services, and payments not being made to service providers.
23 February, 2010
BOTSWANA
President expects more from PS
The President of Botswana, Ian Kharma has told Public Servants that there is nothing wrong with senior officers challenging their staff to work harder to deliver services to the community.
In his State of the Nation Address, President Khama said he expected more from those holding public office, adding “delivery” to his guiding principles of democracy, development, dignity and discipline.
The President also said there was no place for bullying in the PS workforce.
“The perpetrators of bullying often believe that in so doing they are making their juniors do the job and that it is impossible for junior employees to do their jobs without being kicked around and frightened with a sledge hammer,” he said.
“My experience however is that workplace bullying is common and widely accepted in the Public Service mostly because the line of authority is clearly defined and power differentials are worshipped.”
He said some victims believed their bosses were entitled to bully them and that a hostile work environment was a key reason for many Public Service resignations.
“Government must act swiftly to restore order and ensure that junior employees are able to work in an environment free of bullying,” President Kharma said.
“There is a dire need to enact anti-bullying legislation (like it was done with sexual harassment) if we are serious about public sector reforms.
“Unions must also become pro-active and sensitise their members about bullying as well as providing support and appropriate advice and where appropriate act on behalf of their members in respect of complaints of bullying at the workplace.”
23 February, 2010
IRELAND
Parliamentary business in Ireland is set to be disrupted following the decision by public service unions to take industrial action following budget pay cuts.
Members of some unions are already refusing to deal with Parliamentary questions in some Government Departments.
Union leaders said proposals for PS reform could be back on the table if the Government agreed to consider reversing Public Service pay cuts if it could find equivalent or larger savings through other PS changes.
GERMANY
Talks between employers and unions in Germany about this year’s pay round for 1.3 million Government employees have collapsed .
Public Servants wanted a pay rise of five per cent, arguing that Government workers had fallen behind over the last few years.
Employers countered that the recession had reduced their revenues drastically and that they could not afford the increase. Both sides have agreed to go to arbitration.
TUNISIA
Tunisian President, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has chaired a cabinet meeting to examine ways to boost the employment sector.
The meeting looked at the first phase of labour market reforms to be introduced this year, including the implementation of the voluntary civil service program which targets 10,000 university graduates.
The program aims to help recipients gain practical and professional skills which will prepare for entry into the job market.
UNITED STATES
Harvard Law school has launched a Public Service Venture Fund to assist new graduates in starting their own nonprofit organisations or for those seeking Government Agency jobs.
Students who submit a successful proposal detailing how they will use the money will share among $1 million a year.
Dean of Harvard Law School Martha Minow said the Public Service initiative was an investment that would not only pay dividends for students but also the “countless” number of people who they would help during their careers.
ANGOLA
At least 3,614 people are expected to join Angola’s Public Service in the central Bie province.
Director of the Ministry of Public Administration, Employment and Social Security (MAPESS), Gertrudes Francisco Óscar, said the province had 3,425 vacancies in the education sector and 189 others for health sector.
Officials said the region has a shortfall of 2,152 primary school teachers, as well as a number of doctors, nurses and psychologists.
16 February, 2010
NEW ZEALAND
PM warns Agencies of tough years ahead
The Prime Minister of New Zealand, John Key has warned Government Departments that they face some tough years ahead.
In a speech to Parliament, Mr Key said Agencies must lift their game but would not receive any extra funding to help them improve their performance.
“Most Agencies will see no additional funding for several years,” he said.
“They will therefore need to make enduring and significant changes to the way they operate.”
Mr Key called on Agencies to work together and share support services with each other.
He also recommended Agencies reorganise their back office administrative functions, make better use of technology and explore innovative options and ideas to help them deliver services.
Mr Key also said the savings drive that began last year would continue despite his request for improved services.
“We began last year by capping core Government administration and by conducting a line-by-line review of expenditure as part of the 2009 budget,” he said.
“That review identified a total of more than $2 billion in spending over four years that was redirected to frontline services.
“That was not a one-off exercise.”
Mr Key said Agencies could expect to be under constant pressure to deliver quality services.
16 February, 2010
UNITED KINGDOM
PS errors getting worse
Official errors made by Public Servants in the United Kingdom led to $1.41 billion in benefit overpayments during 2008/09.
According to a Parliamentary report on the matter, the cost of official errors leading to overpayments at the Department of for Works and Pensions (DWP) doubled since 2000/01, when it was $705 million.
The Work and Pensions Select Committee, which examines the expenditure, administration and policy of the DWP, said the figure was “far too high” and criticised the Department’s attitude.
Chairman of the Committee, Terry Rooney called on the Department to explain the dramatic increase.
Mr Rooney said underpayments due to official error had also increased from $705 million in 2004/05 to $882 million in 2008/09.
He said the increases had been “masked” by overall statistics that showed overpayments for “fraud and error” had fallen.
“Poor decision making not only costs the Department in wasted overpayments, and costs claimants in underpayments, but also generates more costs further down the line in reconsiderations and appeals,” Mr Rooney said.
“An increased focus on the quality of decision making to match the Department’s successful focus on fraud could have a very significant effect in reducing the cost to the Tribunals Service of hearings on benefit appeals.”
The Committee said it was also unacceptable that the Department’s last publication on the benefits decision-making process had been in 2006 and had only covered 2002/3 as it had only committed to publishing reports “annually or as near to each year as possible.”
“We are particularly concerned that the Department doesn’t appear to take scrutiny of the decision making and appeals system seriously enough,” Mr Rooney said.
“If it is to improve on its performance in respect of official error, it must listen and respond to criticism,” he said.
16 February, 2010
UNITED STATES
Overhaul planned for pay and conditions
A major overhaul of the classification and pay system used by Public Service Agencies in the United States is being considered.
Director of the Office of Personnel Management, John Berry said the current General Schedule (GS) system was 60 years old and due to be refreshed.
Mr Berry said while nothing had yet been put to paper, the Government was serious about revamping the way it manages and rewards employees.
“We need to think about how we can refresh the GS system,” he said.
“I don’t think anybody is proposing to throw it out.”
Mr Berry said he was considering eliminating the first two ranks of the 15-grade GS system and adding grades 16 and 17 and that reworking the classification system could more accurately “reflect pay for the categories the Federal Government is employing today.”
He said when the GS system was introduced in 1949, the Government was less complex than it is now.
“It is a much different workforce today, a higher-educated white- collar workforce that is tackling very sophisticated problems, like cyber-security issues, terrorism, financial fraud,” Mr Berry said.
He said he would like a new system that allowed greater employee movement within and between Agencies, encouraged promotion, focused on results rather than processes and linked the work of individual Public Servants to the goals of their Agencies.
Mr Berry said he wanted the PS to “move in a direction to empower and trust” employees to get the job done without focusing so much on when and where they worked.
“I’m a strong proponent of breaking the chain to the desk and breaking the chain to the time clock,” he said
Mr Berry said more information on the proposed changes would be available by the middle of the year.
He said overhauling the GS system was “probably the most important legacy item I will accomplish.”
16 February, 2010
ZIMBABWE
Call to computerise payroll
The Minister for Education, Sport, Arts and Culture in Zimbabwe has called on the Government to create a computerised database of its employees.
The Minister, David Coltart said the move would help weed out ghost workers who were claiming pay cheques without being members of the Public Service.
“Government has been duped of a lot of cash through ghost workers,” Mr Coltart said.
“But if we were computer networked, thousands of dollars would have been saved.
He said his Ministry was making efforts to keep a computer-based list of teachers in the service to make it easier for the Government to compile a record of teachers working in Zimbabwe.
Mr Coltart said creating a computer database of names was needed to provide a smooth flow of information between Government head offices and provincial and district offices.
He said information was transmitted manually.
“The manual system we have been using for the past years has resulted in Government losing a lot of money,” Mr Coltart said.
“We must have a situation whereby every school will be linked to the ministry.
“A person in another province should be well informed of what is happening at their head office.”
He said the major challenge facing the new system was finding the necessary resources and people with adequate technical skills.
“The process is expensive, but I have spoken to officials from World Bank and some donor agencies that have agreed to chip in financially,” Mr Coltart said.
16 February, 2010
UNITED KINGDOM
Survey reveals PS
bullying rife
A survey in the United Kingdom has found almost one in eight Public Servants working at the Department of Health has experienced workplace bullying or harassment.
According to the survey, which was conducted last year, nine per cent of workers said they experienced discrimination at work.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health said any bullying was unacceptable and that there was “absolutely no place in the workplace for abuse of any sort.”
“All Department of Health staff have the right to be treated with consideration, fairness, dignity and respect,” the spokesperson said.
“We will continue to monitor the situation through regular staff surveys.
“Any cases of bullying or harassment will be fully investigated and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.”
Of the 2,056 staff who responded to questions about their past 12 months at work, 12 per cent said they had experienced bullying and harassment, 83 per cent said they had not and the remainder didn’t say.
Nine per cent of staff said they had personally experienced discrimination while 84 per cent said they had not.
The Civil Service-wide People Survey was carried out for the first time from October to November last year.
Previous staff survey results conducted by the Department of Health were not directly comparable as employees had been asked to confirm they had “not” personally experienced bullying or harassment over the previous three months.
16 February, 2010
MALAYSIA
Race dismissed as an issue in PS
The dominance of one race in the Malaysian Public Service should not be an issue, according to the Director General ofthe Malaysian National Civics Bureau, Datuk Shagul Hamid Abdullah.
While accepting that racial diversity in the PS was “less than ideal”, Mr Hamid said the
Public Service needed to concentrate on improving service delivery rather than worrying about its demographics.
“The aim should be to attain a level of standard so high that it obliterates the racial argument,” Mr Hamid said.
“Emphasis therefore should be on the continuous effort to elevate the standards and quality of service of the Public Sector itself.”
He said the racial composition of the Public Service had always been a contentious issue and that the Service had been blamed of having a “lopsided” racial composition.
He said a non-representative Public Service could alienate under-represented races but there had never been any “deliberate and conscious” effort by the Government to discourage non-Malays from entering the Public Service.
He said non-Malays showed little interest in working in the Public Service.
“Lower Public Sector remuneration is a major obstacle, especially in comparison to the more lucrative private sector market,” Mr Hamid said.
“This is made worse by the widespread perception that in recruitment and career advancement, there is an absence of equal opportunities.
“There is also a cultural element in the perception of working in the civil service. Among the Malays, a Government job provides security. For the Chinese populace, which came to the then Malaya as traders, for example, the move to join the civil service is more culturally alien.”
Mr Hamid said while increasing the diversity of the PS would be good for the service, it was not necessary to achieve quality results.
“The excellence of the Immigration Department is a case in point,” he said.
“Ever since it managed to greatly and significantly reduce the time taken to obtain passports, the general public has been very happy.
“The fact that the Department is predominantly staffed by Malays is no longer an issue.”
The Director of the Centre for Policy Initiatives, Dr Lim Teck Ghee and the former President of Transparency International Malaysia, Ramon Navaratnam have disputed Mr Hamid’s claims, saying a representative and multi-racial PS should remain a key national priority.
Dr Ghee and Mr Navaratnam said the PS needed to fully represent the country’s racial make-up to ensure it was fair and on par with other modern Governments where Public Servants were fully engaged in formulating public policies on behalf of all communities.
“Even if we accept as largely true the statement that there are no ‘deliberate and conscious’ attempts to discourage non-Malay participation in the Civil Service, it does not absolve the Government from its responsibility of ensuring a fully representative Civil Service,” they said.
16 February, 2010
NIGERIA
PS Chief looks to better times ahead
The new Chairman of Nigeria’s State Civil Service Commission has told Public Servants to expect better times ahead.
The Chairman, Chief Jacob Obot made the comment during his first meeting with the Commission’s management and staff.
Chief Obot said during his tenure “remarkable changes” and improved welfare packages for staff were on the table and urged Public Servants to continue working hard to earn the benefits.
He thanked staff for the warm reception they had given him since he was sworn in and pledged to operate an “open door” policy to allow staff to interact and share their ideas with him.
Chief Obot urged all staff to adhere to PS rules and regulations and to remain disciplined and avoid any scandalous practices.
Permanent Secretary of the Commission, Eno Effiong said Chief Obot had a wealth of experience that would help him handle the affairs of the Commission.
Mr Effiong said Chief Obot would serve as a good intermediary between Public Servants and those in politics.
The heads of the different Departments in the Commission expressed their delight at the new appointment, pledging the cooperation of their staff.
Chief Obot is a retired Permanent Secretary who worked in the Ministries of Finance, Commerce and Industry, Education and Agriculture.
16 February, 2010
VIETNAM
New holidays approved
Changes to the Lunar New Year holiday schedule for Public Servants have been approved, by the Prime Minister who warned employees however that a crackdown on fireworks would take place over the holiday period.
Prime Minister, Nguyen Tan Dung said under the new holiday schedule Public Servants would be on holiday from 13 to 21 February, but would need to make up one day on Saturday 27 February.
Previously, employees had to return to work on Friday 19 February.
Head of the Government’s office, Nguyen Xuan Phuc said the changes were made to increase work productivity, stimulate tourism and increase public spending.
The Prime Minister also ordered Ministries and province and city authorities to be on the lookout for the illegal production, transportation, storage and use of firecrackers during the holiday period.
Mr Dung issued the order after firework production and use increased over the past few weeks despite his request to Agencies that they be strict in managing firecrackers.
He said Police had already recorded 113 cases of purchase, transportation, storage and use of firecrackers this year, seizing and destroying 3,700 kilograms of fireworks.
Mr Dung said this represented an increase of 680 kg of firecrackers compared to last year.
Lighting firecrackers on Lunar New Year’s Eve and the first day of the New Year is an old custom observed during the festival to bring luck.
However firecrackers were banned in 1995 to prevent waste and serious injuries.
16 February, 2010
INDIA
GM crops put on hold
The Indian Government has put a halt on plans to grow genetically modified crops despite assurances from scientists at the Ministry of Science and Technology that the crops posed no danger.
The Government was set to endorse the first ever commercial GM food crop in India but declared planting would be put on hold after concerns were raised by farmers and independent scientists.
A crop of genetically modified eggplants containing a gene to poison pests, boost yield and reduce dependence on pesticides was due to be planted.
Concerns that not enough was known about the effects of the eggplant on human and environmental health and anger from communities who feared India could become reliant on the expensive GM seeds were enough to cause the Government to rethink the plan.
Minister for Agriculture, Sharad Pawar previously said his ministry was in favour of the crop.
Minister for the Environment, Jairam Ramesh said he would consider all sides of the debate after the plan was met with wide-spread opposition.
“Public sentiment is negative,” Mr Ramesh said.
“It is my duty to adopt a cautious approach.”
Creator of the GM vegetable, Mahyco, said the vegetable was safe because the added toxins would break down during cooking or by acid in the stomach.
However some scientists argued safety tests had not been conducted and that toxicity screening for human consumption over long time periods had not been considered.
Senior Research Scientist at the Ministry of Science and Technology, Dr Maharaj Kishan Bhan said the crop posed no threat.
“You can take a philosophical view that all GM foods are bad – but from a scientific point of view I would say it is fine,” Dr Bhan said.
The variety of eggplant due to be planted, Bt brinjal, was cleared for commercial release in October 2009 by the Government’s Genetic Engineering Approval Committee.
16 February, 2010
ISRAEL
The Israeli Civil Service Commission has moved to block the appointment of Israel’s proposed ambassador to Nepal, saying it was an “extremely inappropriate” choice.
Hanan Goder was appointed ambassador to Kathmandu despite disciplinary procedures against him for alleged expenses fraud, document forgery and conduct unbecoming a Public Servant.
Despite being blasted by the Commission, the Foreign Ministry said the appointments committee chose Mr Goder after reviewing all relevant information and deciding he was the most suitable candidate.
ZIMBABWE
An audit on the effectiveness of the Public Service in Zimbabwe has been delayed due to logistical problems and difficulties accessing some areas of the country due to poor weather.
The audit’s deadline has now been extended twice –it was originally due to be completed by 18 December 2009 and then 14 January this year.
The audit aims to catalogue all Public Servants to check on the effectiveness of the PS following a decade of mass exodus of workers.
PALESTINE
The Hamas Government of the Gaza Strip in Palestine has failed to pay around 20,000 of its security and military personnel their salaries for January.
Hamas has a monthly payroll of $16 million and a Public Service of 34,000 employees.
Around 5,000 Public Servants have been paid their January wages, with security and military personnel told they will be paid before other employees.
NIGERIA
All Public Servants in Nigeria’s Rivers State Public Service who possess certificates and degrees in education are to be transferred into schools in a bid to meet the demand for teachers.
Head of the Public Service, Esther Anucha said the skills of the Public Servants were needed more in schools than they were in main stream roles.
SINGAPORE
The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports has revealed the number of homeless people in Singapore has increased over the past two years.
Officers from the Ministry picked up 253 homeless people in 2009, more than double the 123 that were found sleeping on the streets in 2007.
The majority of homeless people picked up are sent to destitute houses where they get free food, shelter and clothes.
9 February, 2010
GREECE
Committee finds PS ‘dysfunctional’
The Public Service in Greece has been described as “dysfunctional” by a special committee set up to examine problems with the accuracy and credibility of public data.
The committee was established by the Minister for Finance, George Papaconstantinou and consisted of representatives from the central bank, the Greek Banker’s Association, two think tanks and Greece’s private sector umbrella union, GSEE.
The committee blamed problems with Greece’s statistics on the Public Service and political meddling.
It said staff shortages within Government Departments had contributed to problems with Greece’s data collection system.
In its 100-page report, the Committee also highlighted problems with the quality of source data and the competing responsibilities between different bodies.
“Finally, a serious cause for the failure of the credibility of the system is due to the apparent political interventions,” the report says.
It said “drastic” measures were needed at “many levels” to correct Greece’s statistical problems.
The report made over 50 recommendations ranging from changes in the way municipalities collect and report their data to making Greece’s statistics Agency independent of political influence.
Mr Papaconstantinou created the committee after it was revealed that Greece’s 2009 deficit would hit 12.7 per cent of gross domestic product, twice the previous official forecasts.
9 February, 2010
UNITED KINGDOM
PS urged to promote
from within
The United Kingdom Government has been urged to develop talent within the Public Service instead of importing skills into the Service’s senior ranks.
The Public Administration Select Committee has advised the Government to scale back on outside appointments, saying they had diluted core Public Service values and had provided poor value for money.
Chairman of the Committee, Tony Wright said the Government should draw up and publish a Civil Service workforce plan that identified its skills needs and showed how it planned to grow its own talent to meet those needs in the future.
Mr Wright said a large number of staff had been recruited from outside the Public Service over the years to fill skill shortages and bring new perspectives to the Government.
He said external recruits did not seem to perform better than career Public Servants and many left the PS quickly despite being paid more.
“We have a permanent Civil Service, but increasingly it is not made up entirely of permanent Civil Servants,” Mr Wright said.
“External appointments at senior levels of the Civil Service have been contentious for some time now, not least because external candidates have generally been paid substantially more than internal ones.”
“We did not find evidence that outside recruits have drastically changed the nature and ethos of the senior Civil Service, but equally there is a lack of performance data to support the claim that they are good value for money.”
He said the Government needed to redress the balance by focusing on “developing talent among its own people” rather than importing talent from the outside.
9 February, 2010
MALDIVES
PSC threatens to sue Government
The President of the Civil Service Commission in the Maldives has announced he is prepared to take the Finance Ministry to Court over its failure to pay reinstated salaries for Public Servants.
President of the Commission, Dr Mohamed Latheef said he would prefer to continue negotiations with the Ministry, but would take them to Court if he had to.
The Ministry of Finance and Treasury said it was unable to increase salaries to the levels before last year’s PS pay cut which was necessary to stave off the effects of the Global Financial Crisis.
The Ministry has refused to reinstate PS salaries until a Parliamentary review of the country’s economic situation has been conducted.
Dr Latheef accused the Ministry of deliberately abusing the rights of Public Servants and has called for an investigation into the matter.
He said the Commission and the Finance Ministry had previously agreed to decrease Public Service wages by 15 per cent for a three month period, which ended in December 2009.
Dr Latheef said the decision to restore the salaries was therefore an automatic one as the three month period was over.
However, the Finance Ministry said the three month term had not been agreed upon as the date for salary reinstatement, but for a review of the economy.
The opposition party, DRP also said it will sue the Government if PS salaries are not reinstated for the month of January.
Spokesperson for the DRP, Ali Waheed said the difference between the reinstated salaries and the reduced salaries could be appealed in Court.
Mr Waheed said the DRP would do whatever was necessary to ensure Public Servants’ salaries were reinstated to their original levels.
Minister for Finance, Ali Hashim said the Ministry did not have enough money to pay for the increase.
Mr Hashim said the Government could also be ineligible to receive the relief funds pledged by the International Monetary Foundation if it reinstated Public Servants’ pay and did not reduce the size of the Public Service.
9 February, 2010
UNITED STATES
President backs PS payrise
US President, Barack Obama has unveiled a 2010-11 Budget proposal that recommends pay parity for Public Servants and military employees.
In the Budget, Mr Obama proposes a 1.4 per cent pay rise for both groups.
Budget Director of the Office of Management, Peter Orszag said the rise coincided with a rise in the Employment Cost Index which showed 1.4 per cent growth from September 2008 to September 2009.
“Federal employees will get a 1.4 percent increase, which frankly I think to a lot of Americans sounds pretty good,” Mr Orszag said.
“It’s lower than it’s been in the past, because inflation has been lower than it’s been in the past.”
He said the 1.4 per cent pay raise included a base pay increase and a locality pay raise.
The pay raise would be the lowest for the armed forces since 1973, when the military became an all-volunteer force.
In his 2009-10 Budget plan, President Obama requested a 2.9 per cent pay raise for the military but Congress ultimately gave it a 3.4 per cent increase compared to Civilian Public Servants who received 2 per cent.
House Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer, has previously called for pay parity between members of the military and civilian workers for annual salary raises.
Mr Hoyer said the proposed raise was consistent with the economy but he wanted to ensure federal pay was enough to attract qualified candidates to Government.
“I think it’s fair in the sense that we’re going through very, very tough economic times,” he said.
“What we’re really looking at is, ‘Is it competitive?’ Can we retain those that we have, and are we competitive in what’s clearly a competitive market for skills?”
President of the American Federation for Government Employees union, John Gage praised the effort at pay parity but expressed concerns over the size of the increase.
“There’s still a huge pay gap between federal and nonfederal salaries,” Mr Gage said.
“I think the raise should be higher.”
9 February, 2010
UNITED KINGDOM
Contractors to be accountable
Private companies providing public services are to be held accountable for poor service delivery under new laws proposed by the Communities Secretary in the United Kingdom.
The Secretary, John Denham said the changes would mean that the bosses of failing bus, rail and energy firms which routinely provide poor quality service would be called to account at new public scrutiny panels.
Mr Denham said any private firms or non-Governmental organisations which perform government functions (quangos) that refused to cooperate would face court action.
He said while Councils could currently call them to account, the firms could lawfully refuse to appear under the present laws.
“People shouldn’t have to chase local service providers for responses if they have genuine concerns, or simply suffer in silence,” Mr Denham said.
“They should rightly feel confident their elected representatives have the powers to bring local public service providers to account and fight in their corner for them.
“There should be no hiding place from awkward questions for company bosses about why they are not providing the high quality local public services people are entitled to.”
He said the new laws would mean gas and electricity companies which dug up roads, pavements and gardens for repairs and then left them in worse condition would be required to justify their actions in public.
Mr Denham said in other cases commuters would be able to quiz rail bosses about station safety, proper lighting, decent facilities and access.
He said bus services in largely rural areas could be scrutinised if there were concerns about the routes used, the pickup points or the area included in the catchment.
Backbench MP, David Chaytor said he would support the Bill.
“I am delighted that the Government is backing my Private Members Bill to put the power to act quickly and effectively into the hands of Local Councils,” Mr Chaytor said.
“This will allow them to step in and fix problems and raise standards where local public services are seen to be falling short of what is expected of them.”
9 February, 2010
EGYPT
Campaign to improve PS
The Egyptian Minister for Administrative Development has been charged with the tasks of reducing corruption and increasing efficiency in the nation’s Public Service.
In bringing about these outcomes, the Minister, Dr Ahmad Darwish said he would focus on three main issues: changing the mindset of Public Servants so they accept reforms; revising the structure of the PS; and improving the efficacy of service delivery to enhance efficiency and reduce petty corruption.
Dr Darwish said the Sector needed to focus on its core functions and that while cultural change in the Public Service was slow, initial breakthroughs could be seen.
“The single most challenging task for us is changing the culture of the Civil Service, to speed up the pace of change and overcome resistance to change,” he said.
“People are always afraid of what they don’t know, but once we can explain to them that reforms will make their lives easier in terms of the way they are doing their jobs and so on, they accept and appreciate the new system.”
Dr Darwish said many Public Servants were worried that reforms would cost them their jobs or subject them to more stringent monitoring systems.
He said one of his key challenges was to convince people about the sincerity of the Government as it sought to modernise the PS.
The second most difficult step, he said, was to “untangle the work processes and the work cycle, because the more complicated they are the more they open the way to corruption.”
Dr Darwish said a primary area of focus for his Ministry in its anti-corruption effort was to change the way citizens access Government services.
“The most problematic issue in the civil service in Egypt it not bribery in its well known definition all around the world, which is paying money to accomplish an illegal transaction,” Dr Darwish said.
“The bribery most common in Egypt is payment to speed up legal transactions; you pay money to get what is your own right.”
Dr Darwish pinpointed over-staffing as another area of concern, saying the size of the PS would gradually decline as the Government only hired to replace those who retired.
9 February, 2010
GERMANY
PS strikes for payrise
Public Servants in Germany have launched a week of ‘warning strikes’ across the country in a bid to win a five per cent pay increase.
Around 22,000 members of the Verdi trade union, which has two million members, took part in temporary work stoppages despite a warning from Government leaders that they were facing a budget deficit.
The strikes affected local hospitals, buses and trains, municipal utilities and rubbish collection services.
The trade union has scheduled a rolling program of strikes that will continue until the union and employers meet for another round of pay talks this week.
The token strikes are expected to be just the first step in wage negotiations.
Local Government employers announced a record deficit of €12 billion (A$18.96bn) last week, a 50 per cent increase on the previous worst budget outcome in 2003.
The Mayor of Frankfurt, Petra Roth, said some German cities faced “budgetary collapse” and were in danger of becoming incapable of functioning normally.
Ms Roth warned that the tax cuts proposed by the Federal Government would hit Local Government the hardest.
However, representatives from the Verdi union insist their pay claim is justified due to the need to boost German domestic demand to revive economic growth.
Chairman and Chief Negotiator for the union, Frank Bsirske said employers had failed to respond to any of the union’s proposals and had dubbed the five per cent increase as “absolutely unrealistic.”
9 February, 2010
SUDAN
Call to fill ethnic PS vacancies
The National Civil Service Commission in Sudan has urged Public Service Departments to fill the 15,000 vacancies for southern Sudanese residents that have been specially created.
Chairman of the Commission, Professor Moses Macar Kacual said the vacancies were created under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005, which granted southern Sudan independence until 2011 and helped end the civil war between north and south Sudan.
Professor Macar urged Departments to employ the southern Sudanese after he received reports some Departments were hesitant to do so.
“When we sent 1,000 applicants to the Ministries, we found that some Departments hesitated to recruit these people,” Professor Macar said.
“The Council of Ministers met on 6 January and we discussed this issue and they instructed the Departments to recruit these people and we are now waiting for the response to the request that these people should be employed.”
He said around 600 qualified southern Sudanese from the 1,000 applicants for jobs in the National Civil Service had not yet taken up their duties due to difficulties created by various Departments.
He said the Commission planned to announce a second recruitment phase because residents from southern Sudan were hesitating to apply for the positions.
However, Professor Macar said, when the residents heard that the President had endorsed the first batch of applicants, they realised the scheme was serious and submitted applications for the second phase before it was even announced.
“I have about 2,000 applications so far but I suspended them because I want to see to it that the first 1,000 applicants are recruited so that we can review our statistics to see how many vacancies are left in each Department,” he said.
“After that we can announce the second batch.”
Professor Macar said the 15,000 jobs represented the 20 per cent quota outlined in the peace agreement.
He said under the agreement, southern Sudanese people were supposed to be employed in 28 Federal Ministries with the exception of the Ministry of Defence and the Interior Ministry.
He said these exemptions were due to the fact that southern Sudan has its own army and police force.
9 February, 2010
SOUTH AFRICA
Call to improve justice system
The Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development has called for South African Public Servants to work together to improve the country’s justice system.
The Deputy Minister, Andries Nel, said he was concerned over inefficiencies in the legal system and that officials needed to work better and faster.
Mr Nel said he did not always receive important statistics on time and that a new Criminal Justice System was being considered to fast track the process.
“We are already looking at the System whether we should give certain judicial powers to the jurists to be proactive,” he said.
Mr Nel also raised concerns about the lack of discipline among staff and an absence of sufficient computers due to budget constraints.
He said the Justice System was like a complex and diverse piece of machinery.
“If one part of the machinery is taken out then it will negatively affect the whole machinery,” Mr Nel said.
In a surprise visit to Johannesburg Magistrate Court in January, Mr Nel highlighted problems with staff turning up to work and remaining for the length of their shift.
“I only found the Magistrate and the Legal Aid official in one of your Courts but some officials were not present for duty,” he said.
“I saw a couple of police officers sitting in the Court instead of being out there to fight crime.”
Mr Nel urged mangers to work together and remain committed to basic matters of professionalism such as being punctual, saying there were “small things which have a major impact in the country’s service delivery.”
He said Public Servants were paid to do their jobs and quoted the President, Jacob Zuma, as saying, “South Africa is a free country and people who are not ready to serve the public, are free to leave the Public Service.”
9 February, 2010
And From the World in Brief...
GREECE
A blanket pay freeze for the Public Service has been announced in Greece as the country’s Budget deficit increases and it faces pressure from the European Union to rein in spending.
The Prime Minister of Greece, George Papandreou said the Government would also increase fuel taxes and the retirement age and would overhaul the country’s tax system.
A number of strikes have been planned by union members in protest over the measures.
INDIA
A new website for aspirants to the Public Service has been launched in India.
The website, www.jeywin.com, includes around 100,000 questions and video lectures to help applicants prepare for their Public Service exam.
Around 500,000 people are expected to apply for the Public Service this year.
CANADA
A report into the way the Government of British Columbia in Canada handled a privacy breach has recommended tougher background checks for employees entering the Public Service.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police conducted the review, investigating a privacy breach case involving former Government employees accused of misusing the private information of welfare recipients.
The review found the B.C. Government exercised poor judgment when handling the breach and made six recommendations, including urging the PS to review its policies on criminal records checks.
RWANDA
A major shakeup of the Public Service in Rwanda has taken place following a Cabinet meeting chaired by the President, Paul Kagame.
Mr Kagame approved a number of new appointments and the make-up of PS and Government organisations.
The changes affected a number of Agencies including RwandAir, the Fund for Support of Genocide Survivors, the Students Financing Agency and the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
SOUTH KOREA
The South Korean Government has urged State-run utility firms to avoid raising public service charges unless necessary.
The Minister of Strategy and Finance said the Government aimed to maintain price stability by limiting potential gains from public service charges.
The move aims to ease the financial burden on low and middle income groups.
2 February, 2010
NEW ZEALAND
Call to cap top PS wages
The Leader of the Opposition in New Zealand has called for top Public Servants’ wages to be capped.
The Leader, Phil Goff, said existing salaries should not be cut, but that he would like to see a cap imposed on new salaries.
Prime Minister, John Key has criticised the suggestion, saying it was “dumb.”
It is believed that 16 Public Servants, including the Treasury Secretary and the Heads of Health and Social Welfare, currently earn more than Mr Key, who is on $393,000 a year.
Mr Goff said some Public Servants were earning up to $600,000 a year.
“If $400,000 or nearly $400,000 isn’t enough for you to be the head of a Public Service Department then maybe you’ve got to examine what the word ‘public service’ actually means,” he said.
“Since 1997 State Sector Chief Executive salaries have increased by an average of 85 per cent. That’s over 8 per cent a year.”
Mr Key said he was not concerned that 16 Public Servants earned more than him, and voiced his disagreement over linking PS pay to his salary.
“I think it’s a dumb idea, I think people go into politics for very different reasons and motivations and it’s not just money,” he said.
“I think when it comes to Public Sector Chief Executives the Government competes head on with the private sector to get good quality people.
“It’s in the taxpayers of New Zealand’s interest that we have the best quality people.”
2 February, 2010
MALAYSIA
Public urged to be nice
to PS
The people of Malaysia have been urged to change their negative perception of Public Servants to encourage better service delivery.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Idris Jala, said recent comments from the public about the Public Service had been very negative.
Mr Jala, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit said the negative comments were affecting Public Servants as they sought to deliver the Government Transformation Program (GTP) which aims to modernise Malaysia and improve service delivery.
He said the criticism came at a GTP open day held last month (December 2009).
“I want to request that you please say nice things about Civil Servants when you meet them next time,” Mr Jala said.
“If they feel good about themselves, over time they will deliver good results.”
Around 200 people attended the open day to gain a better understanding of the GTP Roadmap, which was launched by the Prime Minister, Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak.
Mr Jala said the Public Servants working on the GTP were doing a “fantastic job.”
The GTP was introduced in April 2009 and is led by the Prime Minister.
The objectives of GTP are to provide more effective service delivery, make the Government more accountable and to move Malaysia forward to become an advanced, united, and just society with high standards of living for all.
The GTP has six key areas: reducing crime, fighting corruption, improving student outcomes, raising living standards of low-income households, improving rural basic infrastructure and improving urban public transport.
2 February, 2010
UNITED KINGDOM
Christian throws book
at PS
A senior cleric in the United Kingdom has accused the Public Service of discriminating against Christians and people of other faiths.
The Bishop of Winchester, Reverend Michael Scott-Joynt claims the Public Service and the charity sector have a ‘secular agenda’ and that Councils, Police Forces and judges have been wrongly using equality and diversity rules to punish churchgoers.
“There is a danger that a Government, of whatever complexion, who are coming to rely ever more heavily on faith-based social and voluntary and caring services, may find themselves making it impossible for bodies coming from a faith perspective into social service, which is often for the most deprived and needy people, to continue,” Bishop Scott-Joynt said.
“There is also a much greater danger for our society in that we could reach a point where Christians, and peoples of other faiths too, find it increasingly difficult to survive in the Public Service, and, indeed, in Parliament.”
He made the comments in support of an amendment to the Equality Bill which would ensure worshippers were not accused of discrimination for celebrating Christmas, displaying Bibles or saying prayers.
“Religious faith and practice appears to be viewed in many places as abnormal, exceptional, deviant, as if it alone is ideological and controversial and, for a whole range of reasons, undesirable,” the Bishop said.
The Peer who proposed the amendment, Lord David Alton said it was a response to the misuse of the law which aimed to protect minority groups.
“My concern is that these provisions may be used, and indeed are already being used, by those whose intentions are hostile to Britain’s Christian heritage,” Lord Alton said.
“Others, who are more well-meaning, may simply be labouring under the mistaken belief that stamping out religious discrimination means stamping out religion.
“Under the nomenclature and language of equality, this has led to countless, ludicrous examples of risible things which public and private bodies have done in recent years, all under the guise of equality,” he said.
2 February, 2010
MALAWI
New guidelines for
sick staff
The Government of Malawi has announced a new set of guidelines designed to help Public Servants suffering from HIV/AIDS.
The guidelines have been introduced in a bid to combat corruption in the administration of the HIV/AIDS Workplace Program.
Under the program, Public Servants with HIV were offered an additional $34 on top of their monthly salary to declare their HIV status and encourage others to do the same.
However the program was temporarily suspended after some Public Servants joined forces with hospital personnel to obtain bogus medical reports indicating they had HIV and could claim the additional money.
The new guidelines aim to regulate the care package across the PS to ensure effective use of Government resources and to prevent the unfair claiming of money.
Director of Nutrition, HIV and Aids in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Catherine Mkangama said the new guidelines provided a minimum package for nutrition care and support that should be given to the people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.
Ms Mkangama said that the package was developed following wide consultation and consideration of other Nutrition Care and Support programs in the country.
“The guidelines are intended to standardise the care package across the Public Sector to facilitate effective use of the resources,” she said.
“In addition, the guidelines suggest activities that can be implemented to promote HIV prevention, control, mitigation, care, support and treatment in the workplace.”
Under the new arrangements, Public Servants living with HIV will also receive nutrition support to complement the food security of their households.
While support was restricted to the infected person under the former program, the new program will extend the support to their registered dependants if infected by the pandemic.
“The new arrangement is very effective and will help in saving government money,” Ms Mkangama said.
“Beneficiaries will need to go through a number of processes to qualify for the support. This is done to avoid fraud and corruption in the administration of the program.”
She said Public Servants would have to produce their health passbook, Anti Retroviral Treatment number, the health centre where they collect their drugs from, place of birth and the type of assistance they need.
2 February, 2010
UNITED STATES
President calls for trust
in PS
The President of the United States, Barack Obama has called for trust in the Government to be restored and outlined new limits for lobbyists.
Mr Obama made the comments in his State of the Union address last week, saying the Government faced a “credibility gap.”
“We face a deficit of trust - deep and corrosive doubts about how Washington works that have been growing for years,” he said.
Mr Obama said the Government needed to act to “give the people the Government they deserve.”
“That’s what I came to Washington to do,” he said.
“That’s why - for the first time in history - my administration posts on our White House visitors online. That’s why we’ve excluded lobbyists from policymaking jobs, or seats on federal boards and commissions.
“But we can’t stop there.”
Mr Obama said lobbyists would now have to disclose each contact they made on behalf of their clients to the Government or Congress.
“It’s time to put strict limits on the contributions that lobbyists give to candidates for federal office,” he said.
However, Mr Obama said restoring public trust demanded more and called for Congress to publish all requests for spending allocations before a vote is taken “so that the American people can see how their money is being spent.”
The President also urged politicians to put the interests of the public first, saying “malicious” political games were “sowing further division” among American citizens and “further distrust” in the Government.
“We were sent here to serve our citizens, not our ambitions,” he said.
“So let’s show the American people that we can do it together.”
2 February, 2010
UNITED KINGDOM
ICT overhaul to save billions
The United Kingdom’s Cabinet Office has announced a “radical shift” in Public Service information technology that is expected to save $5.8 billion a year from 2013.
In its recently published ICT Strategy, the Government proposed its plans to create a smarter, cheaper and greener ICT infrastructure.
Cabinet Office Minister, Angela Smith the new network would, for the first time, bring together Government Departments, Local Government and Public Service organisations to remove overlaps between them and avoid duplicating technology.
“Our new ICT Strategy is smarter, cheaper and greener and will save the public purse £3.2 billion ($5.8 billion) annually,” Ms Smith said.
“We are committed to putting the public’s needs first.
“That is why we are innovating and revolutionising our ICT systems to ensure that they are as effective and efficient as possible for those working in the Public Sector, and at the same time we are able to make huge savings.”
One of the key measures outlined in the PS ICT Strategy is creating a Government computing cloud, or ‘G-Cloud’ to enable Departments to select and host ICT services from one secure shared network.
The Government’s internal cloud computing system would be similar to those used by Google, Microsoft and Amazon and would include reducing the number of data centres, which hold all the Government’s digital information.
Ms Smith said the hundreds of existing centres would be consolidated into around 12 secure data centres to save around $543 million and reduce power and cooling by up to 75 per cent.
Chief Information Officer for the Government, John Suffolk said the move to a ‘government cloud’ mirrored the system used by Google and other large companies which put cheap server computers into huge data centres to provide computing power which was delivered via the internet.
Mr Suffolk said the power would be provided to Government Departments and Local Government, replacing the ageing systems presently used in hundreds of data centres.
“We have seen a period of significant change over recent months and years,” he said.
Technology has changed, the economy has changed and ICT in Government must also change.
“This strategy sets out a new model for Government ICT which will deliver a secure and resilient ICT infrastructure that will enable faster, better services for the public.”
Mr Suffolk said that “as a rule”, UK citizens’ personal data would not be transported overseas but that it could no be ruled out.
He said the security of data and the data centres would be a high priority.
2 February, 2010
SOUTH AFRICA
Cool response to hotline
A Presidential hotline introduced in South Africa to improve complaint response times and resolve service-delivery bottlenecks has suffered “teething problems”.
Since its inception in September 2009, an average of only 33 per cent of calls referred to national departments for resolution have been acted on.
Leader of the Opposition, Athol Trollip, said his Democratic Alliance party had attempted to call the hotline many times, and while the number of calls that got through had increased, the hotline still faced challenges.
The December quarterly update on the hotline acknowledged that the response of some Departments had been unsatisfactory, but pointed out it had resolved some enquiries.
It said in the first month of operation just 12 per cent of calls were resolved. In October the figure rose to 26 per cent and to 31 per cent in November.
Mr Trollip said while hotline staff were friendly and enthusiastic, they did not always understand the nature of complaints being registered.
The hotline has also been criticised as containing procedural flaws since complaints about departments are referred back to the source of the problem.
“It is clear from our experiences that the hotline appears to be nothing more than a process designed to give people the impression that [government] is concerned with outcomes,” Mr Trollip said.
When South African President, Jacob Zuma unveiled the hotline he said it aimed to improve the Government’s image and help eliminate the notion that Government services were of an inferior quality.
Deputy Minister for Public Service and Administration, Roy Padayachie said Mr Zuma wanted to establish a Government that was responsive, caring and engaging and that the Presidential hotline gave people direct access to the Government to raise issues.
Advocates for the hotline said it was already having a positive monitoring and evaluation impact.
Deputy Director-General and Head of Communications, Vusi Mona hailed the project a success, saying the hotline had facilitated the resolution of several problems raised by citizens.
Mr Mona said complaints received by the hotline had also been analysed with the results helping the Government develop trends and get a feeling for service delivery hot spots.
“From a monitoring and evaluation perspective, the data we collect through the hotline can tell us which national departments, provincial departments and municipalities are getting the most queries,” he said.
“This enables us to proactively identify issues and intervene.
“The initiative aims to foster a culture where Public Servants respond positively and effectively, are competent, proactive and available.”
In a bid to improve the response from Departments and provinces to hotline complaints, Mr Zuma has directed all Ministers and Premiers to prepare turnaround strategies to ensure all enquiries are investigated and responded to.
2 February, 2010
NIGERIA
Call for more PS training
Nigerian Public Servants have been challenged to improve their efficiency by undertaking training and attending workshops.
Director General of the Centre for Management Development (CMD), Dr Kabir Kabo Usman has challenged the Country’s Public Servants to take advantage of the training workshop offered by the Public Service Institute and the CMD to help them realise the Government’s Vision 20: 2020.
Vision 20: 2020 is a framework aimed at placing Nigeria among the top 20 leading economies of the world by the year 2020.
Dr Kabir made the comments when opening a two-week capacity building workshop that was organised by the Head of Service of the Federation and the Millennium Development Goal Office.
He said no nation could develop without a well manned and competent Public Service, which was why the CMD was partnering with other Government Agencies to deliver training programs.
“The Centre for Management Development shares the belief of Government that this program will help to meet the urgent need of rebuilding and strengthening the ability of the Civil Service to effectively deliver sustainable growth,” Dr Kabir said.
He said the program also aimed to reduce poverty and help the Government realise its 2020 goals.
The CMD is a resource institution established as the operational arm of the Nigerian Council for Management Development.
2 February, 2010
CAMEROON
PS High Council meets
The first full meeting of the Higher Council of the Public Service in Cameroon has been held to identify and address problems within the country’s Public Service.
Prime Minister of Cameroon, Philemon Yang, chaired the meeting which was attended by a number of Government Ministers and representatives of the administration and Public Servants.
The Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reforms, Emmanuel Bonde said the Higher Council would be able to find solutions to the major problems facing the PS.
“The members of the Council discussed at length and in detail all the problems affecting the Public Service,” Mr Bonde said.
He said the meeting focused on concerns regarding recruitment, health, payment of personnel and how to improve the working conditions of Public Servants in Cameroon
Mr Bonde said representatives of the administration and Public Servants expressed their points of view and that “we all agreed that something needs to be done to enable Civil Servants to feel at ease.”
The Prime Minister, Mr Yang instructed the administration and Public Servants to work in harmony to ensure a better Public Service could be created.
In a decree on 23 November 2009, Mr Yang spelt out the functions of the Higher Council of the Public Service.
He said that among other issues the Council would examine draft texts concerning the situation of Public Servants and look at modifying the general status of the Public Service to improve efficiency.
2 February, 2010
MALAWI
The Government of Malawi has proposed a new national flag to symbolise the country’s development since it adopted the current flag in recognition of its independence in 1964.
Proposed changes include changing some colours and replacing the rising sun currently featured on the flag with a full sun to show Malawi is no longer at the ‘dawn’ of freedom and hope.
However there has been opposition to the change, with critics saying changing the flag is a national issue that should represent the needs of the nation.
MALAYSIA
Compulsory public service for doctors in State hospitals could be extended to five or 10 years in Malaysia.
The Government has proposed the extension from three years to help overcome the shortage of doctors in hospitals.
The Government said if the proposal was adopted, doctors would be able to gain more experience before setting up a private practice or moving into the private sector.
UNITED KINGDOM
A ‘civil service campus’ that would create a base for 5,000 Public Servants has been proposed for Manchester City in the United Kingdom.
Under the plan, a 20-acre site near Piccadilly Railway Station would be turned into the PS Centre in a move to relocate some of the 24,000 Public Service posts from around London and the South East.
Leader of Manchester City Council, Sir Richard Leese said the campus would help regenerate the City and create jobs for residents.
PAKISTAN
The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Yousaf Raza Gillani has reminded the Public Service that good governance is only possible if they focus on their work and implementing programs.
Mr Gilani also said the Government was trying to improve Public Service pay to motivate staff to execute Government policies efficiently.
POLAND
The Prime Minister of Poland has been awarded one of Germany’s top prizes for public service, the Charlemagne Prize.
Prime Minister, Donald Tusk won the award for his efforts promoting European unity.
Mr Tusk has been Prime Minster of Poland since 2007.