100 Public Officers Recognized for Exemplary Service
The Ministry of the Public Service recognized dozens of outstanding public officers during an awards ceremony this evening in Belize City. Policemen, firemen, and other employees from across various government departments gathered at the Princess Hotel and Casino where they celebrated Public Service Day. Many of their colleagues were on hand to join in the occasion which also saw the formal introduction of the Recognition of Meritorious Awards. News Five’s Isani Cayetano has the following story.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
A hundred men and women with careers in the public sector were recognized today as part of the annual celebration of Public Service Day. The commemoration is in harmony with the United Nations and other countries around the world. Each year, a calendar of events is rolled out over the course of a week, to honor and efforts and importance of the public service. This evening, it culminated with an awards ceremony at the Princess, where former two-time Mayor Darrell Bradley delivered the keynote address.
Darrell Bradley
Darrell Bradley, Former Belize City Mayor
“I would say that this act of the United Nations is twofold. The first and fundamental reason, I think, is to recognize how important our public service is to development and I think that that cannot be understated. I, for six years, was a politician but I noh build no street. The people who are the implementers of policy, the people who are the deliverers of services, the people who implement a vision for sustainable human development, the people who ensure that the citizens of Belize get quality services from the government, that is the responsibility of the public service.”
2018 observes the enactment of the Recognition of Meritorious Award Policy, which is touted as a commitment by the Government of Belize to building employee morale by showing appreciation for employees at every level for outstanding performance across the public service.
Darrell Bradley
“The second reason, ladies and gentlemen, why the United Nations and the Ministry of the Public Service elected to honor this period is to really signal out those individuals in the public service who have attained excellence, those individuals who have reached the pinnacle of their service, who have given thirty-five years to the development of our Belizean nation and it is right that as a people that we should say thank you for all that you have done over those many years. That we should recognize that you have sacrificed from your own families, from your relationships, from your personal time to ensure that we sleep securely and we are able to enjoy life.”
Today, officers who have served for thirty years, thirty-five years and over were recognized with awards being presented by Governor General Sir Colville Young. During his speech, Bradley touched briefly on UNCAC and the United Nations’ push for there to be a merit-based system within the public service as a means of fighting corruption.
Darrell Bradley
“Recently, there has been talk of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption and a lot of people think, and it is correct, that corruption has to do with when a politician thief money and put it eena ih pocket. That is true, but if you actually sit down and read and dissect that treaty, a big part of that treaty deals with the public service and it deals with the creation of a merit based public service as a major vehicle for fighting corruption and for creating the kind of society that all of us long to live in.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
