Council presents Public Sector Reform Report
Everyone has something to say about it…but nothing seems to ever get done. The “it” is the way Belize’s civil service is run and today government is taking its latest shot at fundamental change. This morning the Public Sector Reform Council presented its report to the Prime Minister. The 29-page booklet outlines a number of strategies for reforming the public service, among them the restructuring of ministerial portfolios to make administrative rather than just political sense. Marion McNab, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, was the leading architect of the council’s work.
Marion McNab, P.S., Ministry of Public Service
“Well the changes should indeed lead to what we refer to as a new public service. And I believe that the public for a long time has been hankering for changes in the delivery of service by public officers to members of the public. We also as public officers have to be reminded that we are servants of the people. What the reform policy hopes to do is to make a turnabout in the public service in terms of efficiency in the delivery of service, the effectiveness of those services that we are delivery and that it is to be done in a non-partisan and professional and in an as efficient a manner as possible.”
“In terms of changes being proposed, one of the major changes that cabinet will have to look at is that or major proposal that cabinet will have to look at is the reorganization of ministries, the diagnosis of ministries where hopefully consultancies will be made to look at the configuration of ministries with a view to make recommendations to cabinet to turn things around with the view again of bringing about efficiency in the delivery of service to the people.”
When asked what the chances are of the plan succeeding, McNab said that the initiative has the support of the Prime Minister and has had positive input from the Public Service Union and other stakeholders. They will now embark on a campaign to sell the plan to the rank and file and will soon begin a countrywide tour to meet personally with as many government employees as possible.
