26 January, 2010
AFGHANISTAN
UN report finds
corruption rife
A report on corruption in Afghanistan has found that half of all Afghani adults paid at least one bribe to a Public Servant over the course of a year.
   The report, Corruption in Afghanistan: Bribery as reported by the victims, was conducted by the United Nations and found almost $2.8 billion was paid in bribes by Afghanis over a 12-month period.
   According to the report, many Afghanis thought it was “normal” to pay extra for services, to receive better treatment or to avoid fines.
   It says bribes were asked for by a range of public officials from politicians, prosecutors and tax officers to clerks in drivers licence offices in order to cut red tape and provide services.
   The report found the average bribe was a $177, a hefty price when compared to the average yearly income of around $500.
   The UN based the report on interviews with 7,600 Afghani citizens who said most payments were made to police, judges and other local officials, but that teachers and doctors also sought additional payment for services.
   The survey was conducted by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, with the program’s Executive Director, Antonio Maria Costa saying Afghanis had nowhere to turn.
   “Law enforcement officials are by and large the main culprits,” Mr Costa said.
   According to the report, victims of bribery reported having to pay an average of almost five favors a year and just 9 per cent of the urban population believed corruption was worth reporting to authorities.
   Mr Costa said the lack of trust in public officials was prompting Afghanis to look for alternate providers of security and welfare such as Sharia religious law.
   Afghan President, Hamid Karzai admitted corruption existed within the Public Service, but said the problem had been exaggerated and the Minister for Finance, Omar Zakhilwal, lashed out at the report, saying it was “full of flaws” and aimed solely to promote the United Nations.
   Deputy Director General for Afghanistan’s High Office of Oversight and Anti-Corruption, Qaseem Ludin also expressed his doubts about the report.
   “There is no doubt that corruption and bribes are widespread in the Government institutions, but we have our reservations,” Mr Ludin said.


26 January, 2010
UNITED KINGDOM
Data website goes on trial
The United Kingdom has urged computer whizzes to help improve public access to Government data by opening its new data access website to the public for testing.
   A beta version of data.gov.uk has been launched to allow users to pass comment and improve website functions and usability.
   The site aims to open up Government data to the public and allow the information to be reused and recycled in innovative ways.
   “We’re very aware that there are more people like you outside of Government who have the skills and abilities to make wonderful things out of public data,” the site says.
   “These are our first steps in building a collaborative relationship with you.”
   The site was opened to the public this week after being tested by software developers in September 2009.
   “We made the site available to members of the development community to test it, use it and provide feedback on where we should be headed.”
   The idea for the site came from the UK Government’s Power of Information Task force and was implemented by creator of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Southhampton, Nigel Shadbolt.
   The beta site includes search and browsing databases; a forum; an ideas section for ‘mashing-up’ data; a wiki for sharing techniques, problems and tools; and a page for submitting and viewing applications created by members of the public.
   “As a beta release we know that there is a still lot to do and that this is very much a work in progress,” the site says.
   “We do hope, however, that the site starts to deliver the functionality and data that you would like to see.”
   The site is expected to make the UK Public Service more accountable and to stimulate innovative ideas and programs through the use of Government information.
   The website could be visited at www.data.gov.uk


26 January, 2010
SOUTH KOREA
Staff sent home to make babies
The Ministry of Health in South Korea has introduced a ‘lights out’ policy among its staff members as a way of increasing the country’s birth rate.
   On 20 January, officials at the Ministry turned the lights off at 7pm to force staff to go home and spend more time with their families, in the hope it would encourage them to have more children.
   A spokesperson for the Ministry said the lights would be turned off early once a month as the policy was trialled.
   The spokesperson said increasing the number of babies was a priority for the South Korean Government, which recorded one of the world’s lowest birthrates in 2008, at just 1.19 children born during a woman’s lifetime.
   Statisticians hold fears the population will begin to decrease within 10 years.
   Tasked with developing policies to increase the birthrate the Ministry of Health has decided to lead by example.
   In addition to having an ‘early night’ once a month, the Department is also offering generous gift vouchers for employees who have more than one child and organises social gatherings in the hope of fostering love among Public Servants.
   The ministry spokesperson said the plan was to “help staff get dedicated to childbirth and upbringing” but that Public Servants with urgent duties would be exempt from the policy.
   Director of the project, Choi Jin-Sun said, “Going home early may have no direct link to having more kids, but you cannot just completely rule out a possible link between them.”
   Minister for Health, Jeon Jae-Hee said the aging population would soon pose real problems.
   “It won’t be too long before our children are burdened with supporting the elderly,” Mr Jeon said.
   “Korea may lose out in the global economic competition due to a lack of manpower.
   “It is actually the most urgent and important issue the country is facing.”
   Married staff at the Ministry of Health have an average of 1.63 children compared to the average of 1.82 among all Public Servants. The Ministry aims to increase that figure to 2.0 within two years.
   Critics of the policy have pointed out that reforms tackling the high cost of childcare and education are needed before young people are likely to consider starting a family.


26 January, 2010
BANGLADESH
Draft Act to govern PS
New laws to govern the appointment and promotion of Public Servants have been announced for Bangladesh.
   The final draft of a new Civil Service Act is expected to be completed by May 2010, regulating jobs and other issues related to Public Service employment.
   Minister for Local Government and spokesperson for the Establishment Ministry, Syed Ashraful Islam said that previous Governments had been appointing Public Servants according to a set of rules outlined by the President.
   “The Government has taken initiatives to formulate the law to govern the appointment, training, promotion, posting, transfer, salary and retirement of government officials and employees,” Mr Ashraful said.
   He said while the Constitution of Bangladesh requires the nomination and promotion of Public Servants to be regulated by an institutional instrument, none had ever been developed.
   He said the reforms would help maintain consistency within the Public Service by stabilising positions and ensuring appointments to top jobs did not change as new Governments came into office.
   Mr Ashraful also disclosed a list of Government officials who had been transferred into the category of ‘Officer on Special Duty’ since the beginning of last year.
   Ten secretaries, 37 additional secretaries, 92 joint secretaries and 73 deputy secretaries were on the list due to promotions, training and other reasons.
   Mr Ashraful said a process of posting those officials to different ministries and divisions was underway and that assistant secretaries and secretaries would be posted to various Government commissions, foreign missions, Offices and Departments as they were needed.


26 January, 2010
ZAMBIA
Political appointments defended
The Chairperson of the ruling political party in Zambia, the Movement for Multiparty Democracy, has said there is nothing wrong with party members holding positions in the Public Service provided they perform to expectations.
   Chairperson, Michael Mabenga said members of the MMD who did occupy positions in the Public Service were qualified and that their political affiliations were of no consequence.
   Mr Mabenga made the comments after a Zambian newspaper, The Post, claimed the Public Service was being destroyed by Public Servants belonging to the MMD.
   “Cadre or not, what was important is that those holding the various offices are qualified and that their performance is satisfactory,” he said.
   In a review on the matter last year, the son of the former President, Colonel Panji Kaunda, said the Public Service should hire experienced and qualified people, not members of political parties.
   Colonel Kaunda said the Public Service was just a “trained body of cadres” who knew the operations of Government.
   He said roles such as Permanent Secretary and District Commissioner should not be held by members of the MMD and the Public Service should serve the public, not individual political parties.
   Colonel Kaunda said it was wrong to have Permanent Secretaries who aspired to become members of Parliament.
   Mr Mabenga responded by saying it would be wrong to deny people appointments based on their political memberships and affiliations.


26 January, 2010
NORWAY
Survey confirms PS ranking
A survey of citizens in Norway has found that although 86 per cent of Norwegians believe their country is almost the perfect place to live, they also believed their public services could be improved.
   The survey measured public satisfaction with governmental, regional and municipal services.
   The findings showed that higher learning institutions, public libraries and the State-owned liquor store chain, Vinmonopolet, were all held in high esteem.
   However, at the other end of the scale, it found citizens believed improvements could be made to the Norwegian Railway, municipal planning and building offices and the Welfare and Labour Administration (NAV).
   Three out of 10 people indicated they were not satisfied with Local and State Government services.
   Minister of Government Administration and Reform, Rigmor Aasrud said she was pleased with the results of the survey.
   “I am happy to know that our citizens are so satisfied with municipal as well as Government services,” Ms Aasrud said.
   “This shows that Public Service providers on the whole are doing a good job in securing quality and user orientation in their services.
   “At the same time, the survey makes it clear that several sectors and enterprises have a potential for improvement.”
   She said while most Norwegians felt they were treated with respect by Public Service organisations, there was still a significant percentage of people who believed the Public Sector was bogged down in bureaucracy and wasted resources.


26 January, 2010
UNITED STATES
PS pay to be cut by 5%
Public Servants in the US State of Michigan could see their pay cut by five per cent after the State Government announced it could not afford to operate at the current level of expenditure.
   Senate Majority Leader, Michael Bishop has urged public servants to accept the temporary pay cut and contribute 20 per cent towards their own health scheme costs.
   “The reality is that we can’t afford the State Government we have today and that’s a fact,” Senator Bishop said.
   He said the reforms would save almost US$2 billion (A$2.2 billion) in employee benefit costs at every level of Government in Michigan.
   He highlighted the fact that workers in the private sector were taking pay cuts and working fewer hours and his proposal would avoid a tax increase to balance the Budget.
   The two amendments to the constitution would apply to all workers at the State and Local level including Kindergarten to Year 12 teachers and university employees.
   Senator Bishop said wages for current employees would be reduced by five per cent for three years, while wage scales would be reduced for new employees by 10 per cent.
   The other amendment would require a 15 to 20 per cent co-contribution on the health insurance.
   “With all the many Government employees in the State whether you’re a governor, judge, prison employee or legislator, we in Public Service believe it’s our responsibility to step up first to try and be part of the solution,” Senator Bishop said.
   Unions have criticised the proposals, saying their workers should not be singled out for pay cuts when they were already affected by cost cutting in their jobs.


26 January, 2010
UNITED KINGDOM
Senior PS staff a diverse group
Public Servants in the top jobs in the United Kingdom come from more diverse backgrounds than ever before, according to the head of the UK PS, Sir Gus O’Donnell.
   Sir Gus said new figures showed the Top 200 Public Servants in Britain came from a range of State-run and private schools, and that the proportion of women in top management positions had doubled since 1996.
   “The Senior Civil Service is now more diverse and representative of our society than it has ever been – of those educated in the UK – nearly three quarters of our Top 200 were educated in State schools,” he said.
   “ When you look at these figures, along with existing research, you see that our top leaders not only come from a more representative set of schools than those in many other professions, but they are more diverse in terms of gender, especially compared to those at the top of the private sector.”
   Twenty-seven per cent of the Top 200 positions were held by women.
   “We are committed to attracting the best talent from the widest possible pool of candidates,” Sir Gus said.
   We will continue to bring in – and bring on – talented people from all parts of society.”
   However, Sir Gus said there was still more work to be done to achieve greater diversity.
   “An increasingly diverse workforce is essential if we’re to meet the challenges of the future and that is why I have made it a priority for the Civil Service,” he said.
   The percentage of Public Servants from an ethnic minority increased by almost half between 1997 and 2008.
   Sir Gus also announced that a survey into the socio-economic background of all entrants to the Senior Civil Service and the Civil Service Fast Stream is to be conducted.


26 January, 2010
CAYMAN ISLANDS
New Secretariat to serve Commissions
The Cayman Islands Government has established a Commissions Secretariat to oversee four new Commissions created under the country’s new Constitution.
   The Secretariat will provide administrative support to the new commissions and their Chairs.
   The newly-formed commissions are the Human Rights Commission, the Constitutional Commission, the Commission for Standards in Public Life and the Judicial and Legal Services Commission.
   Former Secretary for the Parole and Prisons Boards, Deborah Bodden, is to head the new Secretariat.
   Ms Bodden said the Secretariat would deploy a “joint services” approach to the commissions in order to minimise costs in the current fiscal climate.
   She said she was looking forward to her new role.
   “I am excited to be part of what is a new chapter for Cayman,” Ms Bodden said.
   The Constitutional Commission is to advise Government on issues concerning constitutional status and development, promote public understanding of the constitution and publish reports on constitutional matters affecting the Cayman Islands.
   The Human Rights Commission replaces the Human Rights Committee and aims to promote understanding and observance of human rights in the Islands.
   The Commission for Standards in Public Life has the task of promoting “the highest standards of integrity and competence in public life in order to ensure the prevention of corruption or conflicts of interest.”
   The Judicial and Legal Services Commission is expected to advise the Governor on all judicial and legal appointments and to develop a code of conduct for the judiciary and a procedure for dealing with complaints.


26 January, 2010
And From the World in Brief...
UNITED KINGDOM
The number of people working in the United Kingdom’s Public Service fell over the year to March 2009.
   Figures released by the Office of National Statistics said the number of Public Servants as of 30 March 2009 was 524,420, down from 525,160 the previous year.

UNITED STATES
The United States Postal Service has claimed it is a victim of unfair pension accounting by the Federal Government.
   The Postal Service’s Inspector General released a report saying the Service paid an unfair share of Civil Service Retirement System liabilities.
   The Inspector General said the Postal Service and the Government were supposed to share the cost of the pension liability but that the Government had only contributed around 70 per cent.
   “Ratepayers should pay no less and no more than what is required to fund the Postal Service’s operations,” he said.

NIGERIA
The Nigerian Government has promised it will pay its 2009 premium for life insurance policies taken out to cover Public Servants.
   Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye said the premium had not been paid on time because it was considered to be too high and the Government wanted to review it.
   Mr Oronsaye assured the insurance industry that the Government was simply trying to make sure all rules and transactions were transparent.

UNITED KINGDOM
Public Servants in the United Kingdom are to vote on whether to take strike action in opposition to plans to cut redundancy payouts.
   Unions have also called for a judicial review of Government plans to cut the Civil Service Compensation Scheme.
   The ballot is scheduled to begin on 4 February and will last until 25 February.

ZIMBABWE
The latest development in the campaign for wage increases for teachers in Zimbabwe has seen Public Service Unions appeal directly to the country’s President and Prime Minister to intervene.
   In a letter to the President, Robert Mugabe, Unions said the Government’s latest pay offer had “agitated Public Servants” and that it needed to address the situation “before it is too late.”
   Minister for Education, David Coltart said the Government and teachers needed to revise their priorities and he “cannot revise money that I do not have.”


19 January, 2010
CANADA
PS depression reaches crisis point
Depression among Public Servants in Canada has been labelled as the country’s biggest “public health crisis” by an expert on mental health.
   Founder of Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Mental Health, Bill Wilkerson, has accused the Federal Public Service’s working environment of causing high levels of depression among staff.
   “The Public Service is a tsunami of distractions - meetings, everything questioned, delegated, people moving... and no one is really in charge,” Mr Wilkerson said.
   “It’s the most transient, fluid, unsettling work environment on the planet, so why wouldn’t people be anxious and in distress?”
   Mr Wilkerson said stress, burnout and depression were evident in all workplaces, but that few organisations had as big a problem as the Public Service.
   He said depression was suffered by bureaucrats, nurses, teachers and military officers at all levels of government and undermined innovation, productivity, service quality and policy making.
   The Ottawa Citizen reported disability claims in Canada were increasing and that between 30 and 40 per cent of claims were for depression.
   It said mental health claims in the Public Service doubled between 1991 and 2007 and accounted for 45 per cent of all claims while the number of other health claims had dropped.
   According to the Ottawa Citizen, studies of executives in the Federal Public Service found 75 per cent felt on the verge of burnout or extreme fatigue and 15 percent of top executives felt “verbally harassed and tormented.”
   Mr Wilkerson said the Public Service had been gripped by paralysis due to “ambiguity” around who was in charge and people feeling a lack of accomplishment.
   He said reforms to management in the Public Service would go a long way towards reducing disability claims.
   “Pension reform and benefit reconstruction will not save the Government money until it creates a work environment that protects mental health and the disabling effects of job stress and depressive disorder,” Mr Wilkerson said.
   “Depression is the public health crisis in the government of Canada. Period.”
   He said the rapid turnover of people moving from job to job was crippling the Public Service.
   “The churn is remarkable, like a ship at sea casting about in turbulent waves and cascading until one day it tips over and sinks.”
   He said a cultural overhaul was needed to focus on “human relations, not labour relations” and to give Public Servants respect, authority and a fulfilling job.



UNITED KINGDOM
Delay in compensation cuts
Changes to the United Kingdom’s compensation scheme for Public Servants made redundant have been delayed.
   A spokeswoman for the Cabinet Office said the overhaul was originally expected to come into effect on 1 January 2010, but had been pushed back until April.
   The spokeswoman said the changes to the scheme, which were proposed in July 2009, were aimed at cutting the cost of running the PS.
   According to UK website, Personnel Today, the Government was considering cutting redundancy packages from up to three years pay to 24 weeks’ pay.
   Personnel Today said the changes would mirror private sector redundancy practices and were expected to save the Government £500 million (A$877 million) over the next three years.
   News of the delay followed discussions between Cabinet officials and the Council of Civil Service Unions when they met last month to look at the implementation plan for the reforms.  
   The Cabinet Office spokeswoman said key changes had been made to the plans, including adding extra protection for the lowest paid Public Servants.
   “The reforms represent a fair and affordable package and take particular account of the concerns of lower paid staff,” she said.
   “They will reduce the costs of running the Civil Service and allow us to focus money on frontline services and protecting jobs.”
   The spokeswoman said the existing terms of the scheme were expensive and more generous than those generally available in the wider public and private sectors.



MALAYSIA
More professionalism urged for PS
The Prime Minister of Malaysia has called for the Public Service to become “fully professional” and apolitical.
   Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said acting professionally and apolitically would allow the Public Service to support the public and work towards meeting the goals of every Government that was chosen by the Malaysian people.
   Mr Najib Razak issued the comments at a Public Services Commission dinner.  
   “Regardless of our personal opinion, we must strongly uphold a totally professional Public Service,” he said.
   “This is a noble principle if we were to be successful all the time.”
   Mr Najib Razak urged Public Servants to be bold as they worked to transform the Government to allow Malaysia to become a modern nation.
   “We are now living in the 21st century which is more challenging compared to the past. We are facing new competitors in the country,” he said.
   “We are also facing new demands from the society who are better educated and expect higher aspirations from the Government.”
   Mr Najib Razak said the Public Sector needed to be better prepared to face future challenges and needed to carry out their responsibilities more quickly without sacrificing service quality.
   “Quick does not mean hasty, but swiftly and correctly,” he said.
   “I have heard in the past that if the public wanted something immediately, our response was to say no.
   “If they want, let them make an appeal, but now, this method is no longer suitable because the people have higher aspirations, they want the Government to give feedback.”



NIGERIA
Review urged for
promotion rules
Federal Public Service Agencies in Nigeria have been ordered to review their promotion guidelines.
   Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye said the guidelines should be reviewed in line with reforms to the Public Service.
   Mr Oronsaye said successful participation in appropriate training programs would now be a prerequisite for Public Servants wishing to be promoted.
   He made the comments at the end of a two-day review of training modules for capacity building in the PS.
   He said his office would put a Memorandum before the Federal Executive Council to seek approval to allow stakeholders to modify their operating guidelines to include the training prerequisite.
   He assured Public Servants that the training programs which had commenced in November 2009 would continue but said changes would be made to the modules.
   Mr Oronsaye said proposed changes included capacity development for junior officers, targeting skills-building, developing Public Service competency and the changing role of Government to enable more systematic training programming and resourcing.
   He said the courses would be calibrated across levels and phased to fit the career progression of officers.
   Participants at the training course review also discussed attitudinal change in the Public Service, suggesting ethical issues such as integrity and anti-corruption should be included in PS orientation and separated from personal leadership development.
   The review forum was an initiative of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service and was attended by stakeholders from the Federal and State Governments, Management Development Institutes and other experts.



ENGLAND
BBC facing radical reform
A report into the survival of Public Service Broadcasting in the United Kingdom has recommended the BBC be transformed and Channel 4 be privatised.
   The report, Changing the Channel, was conducted by UK think tank, Policy Exchange and found Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) was under strain and needed to undergo radical reform in order to survive in the digital age.
   Former Head of Strategy at the BBC, Mark Oliver authored the report, saying the BBC should cut back spending on sports programs and ‘popular entertainment’ for those aged 16 to 35 as they could already be accessed on other networks.
   “Instead of crowding out commercial schemes, the BBC management should spend up to 5 per cent of total license fee income on co-funding PSB programs on other channels,” the report says.
   Mr Oliver said the BBC should “place quality before ratings”.
   “The current UK broadcasting system was set up in the 1950s and now struggles to keep up with the extraordinary changes of the digital age,” Mr Oliver said.
   “It is clear that the 20th century analogue institutions that were created are now worryingly out of date.
   “We need a dramatic rethink if we are to continue to deliver Public Service Broadcasting in an entirely new age.”
   The report recommends the BBC Trust be replaced by a BBC Joint Board, claiming the way the BBC Trust was set up has not enabled it to “hold the BBC to sufficient account and has forced it to take a narrow institutional approach to the delivery of PSB in the UK”.
   Mr Oliver suggested a Public Service Content Trust be created to promote PSB across all TV, radio and broadband and to monitor the delivery of BBC services.
   The report recommends Channel 4 be privatised in 2012, but retain a PSB license for a minimum of 10 years.
   It also says Government plans for a ‘broadband tax’ to fund super-fast broadband should be scrapped and funded from general taxation, if it was necessary.
   The BBC Trust said any proposed changes must not put the public value of the BBC or its independence from Government at risk.



GERMANY
Call for ethnic balance
in PS
Germany’s Commissioner for Integration Policy, Maria Boehmer has called for greater ethnic balance in the police force and other Public Service Agencies.
   Ms Boehmer said one in five people in Germany have a “migration background”, where at least one parent was born outside of Germany.
   “That’s why it is becoming important that immigrants be proportionately represented as employees in the Public Services,” Ms Boehmer said.
   “We especially need more migration-background teachers.”
   She said she was not proposing quotas for increasing immigrant representation.
   “What is needed is to increase the migrant proportion in the workforces while taking account both of people’s suitability, ability and talent along with their linguistic and cross-cultural skills,” Ms Boehmer said.
   She said she hoped police forces, fire brigades and local-body offices would employ more immigrants.
   She said the issue was controversial in Germany as Public Service jobs were highly sought after due to their security.
   She said all police and Public Servants also needed to have German nationality, but many migrants refused to renounce their original citizenship.
   Chairman of a Turkish-migrant group, Kenan Kolat, recently called on Germany to introduce a “kind of ethnic quota” to allow more migrants to enter the Public Service.
   Immigrants from Turkey are Germany’s biggest ethnic minority.



MYANMAR
Payrise for lower PS ranks
Low-paid Public Servants in Myanmar are to receive a pay rise in an attempt to counter the effects of the rising cost of living.
   The Ministry of Finance and Revenue said Government workers earning the lowest wage of around A$17 a month would receive an increase in their salary.
   The new rate will apply from the beginning of 2010, with the first increased pay package expected to be received by Public Servants at the end of January.
   The Government released an order outlining the increase.
   “The Government has decided to increase the salaries of Government staff for the sake of their living standards,” the order said.
   Military-ruled Myanmar is one of the world’s poorest countries and has been faced with sharp rises in the price of commodities and consumer items over recent months.
   According to the Government order, the day-rate for casual labourers for Government Departments will also increase by about 100 per cent.
   It said however that Public Servants paid in foreign currency abroad would not receive a salary increase.
   One Government Official who wanted to remain anonymous said the pay rise was a relief for the lowest paid staff.
   “We have to be happy about the increased salaries,” the Official said.
   “But the cost of living and daily expenses are also increasing now and that’s why there is so much corruption.”
   Around 20,000 Government staff work at 30 Ministries in Myanmar.



MALAYSIA
Taskforce to monitor PS integrity
The State of Sabah in Malaysia is to set up a taskforce to monitor the integrity of Public Servants.
   Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Musa Aman said the State Integrity Monitoring Taskforce would focus on Public Servants responsible for implementing development projects.
   Mr Musa Aman said the Taskforce would be headed by the Director of the State Public Services Department, Datuk Nordin Siman.
   “The Government is actively focusing on the State’s development for the peace and prosperity of the people,” Mr Musa Aman said.
   “As such, to ensure the success of each plan, implementation and development program, integrity values must include the actions of all Public Service personnel.”
   He said the Taskforce would be responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of integrity programs, implementation and the delivery of public services.
   The Taskforce will make surprise checks and undertake “mystery shopping” on all Government Agencies.
   Mr Musa Aman said the Taskforce would prepare immediate reports for the State Secretary, Datuk Sukarti Wakiman and Heads of related Departments and would suggest improvements that could be made to PS integrity.
   He said the Taskforce would include members from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the State Public Complaints Bureau and the Integrity Unit of the Chief Minister’s Department.



MALDIVES
No end to PS paycuts yet
The Ministry of Finance and Treasury in the Maldives has refused to reinstate Public Service salaries until a Parliamentary review of the country’s economic situation has been conducted.
   The Ministry said it was unable to increase salaries to the levels they were at before it cut PS pay last year in a bid to counter the effects of the Global Financial Crisis.
   The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has called on the Government to restore wages to their original level, saying it believed the economy had recovered sufficiently to warrant the increase.
   The CSC said an agreement with the Finance Ministry had previously been reached to decrease Public Service wages for a three month period, which ended in December 2009.
   It 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 the review of the economy.
   The Ministry of Finance and Treasury issued a press release stating Parliament had been asked to mediate between the Civil Service Commission and the Ministry as direct negotiations had not yielded any results.
   The Finance Ministry also asked the Maldives Monetary Authority to participate in the process.
   It said although money had been budgeted to pay the full salaries, it did not mean the economy had stabilised.
   The 2010 Budget includes the money needed to reinstate the salaries, but the Finance Ministry said it would prefer to act upon a decision by the Parliament.
   Public Servant salaries were reduced in a bid to decrease Government expenditure during the Global Financial Crisis.
   The Finance Ministry suggested the Government could 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.



And From the World in Brief...
ZIMBABWE
The Government of Zimbabwe is facing a potential Public Service strike after unions rejected its offer of a maximum monthly wage of A$255 for the highest paid Public Service employees.
   Unions are calling for a minimum monthly wage of between A$540 and A$650, a large increase on the current average wage of between A$167 and A$194 per month.
   Teachers, who want a minimum monthly salary of A$650, have already threatened to go on strike while the rest of the Public Service is also considering taking action if conditions are not reviewed.

SCOTLAND
The total cost of Public Service wages in Scotland has increased by £5 million (A$8.8 million) over the past two years.
   While the Scottish Opposition has accused the Government of failing to tighten its belt and cut costs, a Government spokesperson said the increase was reasonable.
   “The wage increase between April 2007 and April 2009 is less than 2 per cent per annum, in line with public sector pay policy,” the spokesperson said.

UNITED STATES
The Department of Justice in the United States has filed a law suit against the State of New Jersey for allegedly discriminating against African-Americans and Hispanics in the Police Force.
   The Department has alleged the State uses a written exam for promoting police officers to the rank of police sergeant that discriminates against African-American and Hispanic candidates as they pass the exam at significantly lower rates than other candidates.
   The Justice Department is seeking to disallow the use of the exam in determining promotions.

SRI LANKA
Over 160 complaints against the misuse of public resources by candidates and party members have been received by Transparency International Sri Lanka’s Program for Protection of Public Resources (PPPR), as of 10 January 2010.
   Complaints include using State buildings as political offices, misuse of State-owned vehicles and using public officials for campaign work.
   The PPPR said it was investigating the complaints and encouraged the public to report all incidents of misuse to the organisation.

UNITED STATES
The US Department of Health and Human Services has unveiled two new campaigns to encourage American Indians and Alaska Natives to get vaccinated against the H1N1 swine flu.
   The Department said Native Americans had a mortality rate from the Swine Flu virus that was four times higher than the general population, but that only a small proportion had received the vaccination.
   The campaigns coincide with National Influenza Vaccination Week.