SearchArchives for December 2009
15 December, 2009UNITED KINGDOM
Moves to online-only services
A 5-year plan to deliver most public services online exclusively have been announced by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Gordon Brown.
Mr Brown said he planned to “shift the great majority” of large transactional services to ‘online only’ over the coming years.
The first services to make the change will do so next year (2010) and include student loans, jobseekers’ allowances, working tax credits and child benefits.
Mr Brown said that in 2011, Value Added Tax (VAT) returns and employer tax returns would also go online.
He announced further funding of £30 million (A$53 million) to encourage another million people to hook up to the internet by 2012, saying it had the potential to save a minimum of £400 million (A$711 million) in transaction costs up front and more as the number of online transactions increased.
Mr Brown made the groundbreaking announcement after consulting with the Government’s first Champion for Digital Inclusion, Martha Lane Fox.
Ms Lane Fox said she welcomed the move to provide extra funding to encourage people to join the online environment.
However, she said if all Government services were offered online, the 10 million digitally excluded people in Britain who did not use the internet would be more likely to try it out. “I think that shutting down services would be the best way of carrying through the most amount of people, as long as it is carried through with training,” Ms Lane Fox said.
15 December, 2009
IRELAND
PS pensions to be linked
to CPI
The Irish Government has announced a review of Public Service pensions, saying it would consider aligning them with rises in the cost of living and moving away from the current method of increasing pensions as existing staff receive pay increases.
Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan said he wanted to review the arrangements as linking post-retirement increases to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) would reduce the cost to the Government by up to 20 per cent, or €87 billion (A$140 billion).
Chairman of the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (CPSU), Peter McLoone said the review had been announced “without any dialogue, let alone negotiation” and would mean tens of thousands of people would have their future pension entitlements cut.
“All existing and former Public Servants must now mobilise to protect their incomes,” Mr McLoone said.
He said the move came in the wake of a five per cent pay cut for staff earning up to €30,000 (A$48,000), while there would be a 7.5 per cent reduction on the next €40,000 (A$64,000) and a reduction of 10 per cent on the next €55,000 (A$88,000) of salary.
The CPSU described the cuts aimed at lower-paid groups as a “savage attack on their modest income” while the Regional Secretary of Unite, Jimmy Kelly said “taking a 5 per cent knife” to wages would have a “devastating impact” on Public Servants.
The Head of the Irish Government, Taoiseach Brian Cowen said the 2010 Budget was “fair” and would provide “a significant stimulus” for jobs, training and employment opportunities.
Pensioners were exempt from welfare cuts made in the Budget.
Full details of the cuts across Government Departments are yet to be fully revealed but so far include a 50 cent charge per item on prescriptions and an increase in the monthly threshold for the drugs payment scheme from €100 (A$160) to €120 (A$190).
15 December, 2009
CAYMAN ISLANDS
Review of PS ordered
A comprehensive review of the Cayman Islands Public Service is to commence this month, with teams set to scrutinise all Government services, including those delivered by Government companies and statutory authorities.
Seventeen members of the PS have been selected to form four review teams which will be trained externally and receive support from the private sector.
The review is being conducted as part of an agreement between the Cayman Islands Government and the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office following the United Kingdom’s approval of Cayman’s borrowing request earlier this year.
Deputy Governor, Donovan Ebanks said the Government should be continuously improving the way it does business.
“However, in these economic times of rising costs and diminishing revenues we need to critically examine all the services we provide for the public and ask fundamental questions,” Mr Ebanks said.
“In essence, the reviewers will explore whether a service should be discontinued, outsourced or should stay within Government, but delivered more efficiently.”
He said the review was central to the Government’s efforts to reduce public expenditure.
In response to media reports that a self-review would be ineffective, Mr Ebanks said members of the project team had been carefully selected and included staff from the Internal Audit Unit who had experience and training in auditing the performance of Government Departments.
He also highlighted the involvement of the private sector.
“I believe that together we have the talent and energy in the Cayman Islands to drive this review without having to rely heavily on foreign consultants that will only add costs,” Mr Ebanks said.
The project is being driven by the Office of the Deputy Governor, however the review teams will work under a project team headed by three chief officers, Franz Manderson, Gloria McField-Nixon and Jennifer Ahearn.
The Cayman Islands Civil Service Association has been consulted on the review, and Mr Ebanks has asked Public Servants to give their support to the review teams so they can complete their reporting by mid 2010.
The first four Agencies to be assessed are expected to be the Departments of Tourism and Public Works, the Prison Service and the Cayman Islands National Insurance Company.
15 December, 2009
UNITED KINGDOM
Cap on PS salaries and pensions
Public Service salaries in the United Kingdom have been capped for two years as have contributions to PS pension funds.
Chancellor, Alistair Darling announced £5 billion (A$8.9 billion) of savings saying the Government would cut back on spending programs and major IT projects, reform legal aid and outsource inefficient prisons.
“Public pensions need to be broadly in line with those offered in the private sector,” Mr Darling said.
“So by 2012 contributions by the State to Public Service pensions for teachers, local government, NHS and the Civil Service will be capped – saving around £1 billion (A$1.8 billion) a year.”
He said Public Servants would make a greater contribution to the increasing value of pensions, with those earning over £100,000 (A$180,000) paying more.
The one per cent salary cap will apply to around 4 million nurses, police, teachers, permanent secretaries and other Public Servants from 2011 to 2013 and is expected to save more than £3 billion (A$5.3 billion) a year.
Mr Darling said any new appointments with salaries over £150,000 (A$270,000) a year and all bonuses over £50,000 (A$88,800) would need to be approved by Treasury.
Prime Minister, Gordon Brown said any PS employee who earned over £150,000 would be named.
Mr Brown said the Public Service had a “culture of excess” that must change.
“Public service is admirable, important and it deserves fair reward,” he said.
“Money which should be spent on health, schools, policing and social services is in some cases going on excessive salaries and unjustified bonuses far beyond the expectations of the majority of workers.”
General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Brendan Barber said the pay cap was “unfair” and “inefficient” as it meant Public Servants would be paying to fix the economy even though they did not cause the crash.
“What we need is a fair tax system that asks those who did so well out of the boom years and whose recklessness caused the crash to make their proper contribution, not expect public sector workers - many of whom are low paid - to pay the price,” Mr Barber said.
15 December, 2009
BHUTAN
PS to be governed by
new Act
A new Bill to govern Public Servants in Bhutan under a single Act has passed Bhutan’s National Assembly.
Minister for Labour and Human Resources, Lyonpo Dorji Wangdi said the Civil Service Bill of Bhutan 2009 clarified the control of Public Servants working in different sections of the Government.
“All Civil Servants in the country, whether working in the judiciary, constitutional bodies or the legislature, will be governed by an umbrella Act,” Mr Wangdi said.
“But these bodies will have the authority to appoint, promote and transfer Civil Servants below specialist and executive level in the Civil Service’s position classification system.”
He said that meant the judiciary had the authority to promote or transfer a clerk, but that the promotion of Judges and other senior judiciary staff would be take place according to the Judicial Service Act.
Mr Wangdi said a significant change in the new Bill was the reach of the Act, which will not apply to Judges to avoid conflicts of interest.
He said under the new Bill, the Civil Service Commission would be given the power to create, abolish, upgrade or alter Agencies.
The old Bill states that this could be done by the Commission if ordered by the Government but the new Bill allows it to be done in consultation with Agencies.
However a bid to remove a clause stating that a Public Servant should refrain from publicly expressing adverse opinions against the Government was voted against.
Advocates for the change claimed the clause was unfair as elected members could critise the Government but Public Servants couldn’t express their opinion.
“It’s against the freedom of speech guaranteed by the Constitution,” they said.
“There are laws like National Security Act, Penal Code etc. that would serve as a check if a Civil Servant maligns someone or national security, but a blanket rule to stop them from expressing freedom is inappropriate. How can we say we are a democracy without freedom of speech?”
However, no members supported the submission, saying the clause specified Public Servants should refrain from expressing adverse opinions against the Government “publicly”.
15 December, 2009
NIGERIA
2020 vision in danger
Head of the Nigerian Civil Service, Stephen Oronaye has said he does not believe the Public Service has the capacity to meet its vision 20:20:20.
Vision 20: 2020 is framework aimed at placing Nigeria among the top 20 leading economies of the world by the year 2020.
However in an address to participants at a stakeholders’ forum on Public Sector capacity building, Mr Oronaye said he didn’t the Public Service could rise to the challenge.
“The Public Service remains key to the success of the developmental goals of the Government as enshrined in the 7-point agenda and vision 20:20:20,” he said.
“However, the sad reality is that the Public Service appears to lack the capacity to meet the current challenges.”
Mr Oronaye said in order to meet the challenges the Government would identify specific needs provided by Management Development Institutes and pay close attention to PS programs and training.
He said the stakeholders’ forum was also aimed at providing opportunity to stakeholders to discuss the modules and agree on modalities for conducting training in the States.
Mr Oronsaye said a survey on capacity building would be conducted to assess the human capacity within the Federal and States Public Service Departments and Agencies.
He urged the States and other stakeholders to provide all the assistance they could to ensure programs aimed at reaching vision 20:20:20 were implemented successfully.
15 December, 2009
SOUTH AFRICA
Ban on media advertising
The Ministry of Public Service and Administration in South Africa has announced it will cut all future spending on advertising and marketing over the next financial year.
Minister for the PS, Richard Baloyi has called for minimal spending on advertising and marketing on newspapers, commercial radios and television.
Mr Baloyi has urged the employees of his Department to find other ways to disseminate information to the public.
He suggested staff consider media platforms such as the country’s public broadcaster, SABC and community radio stations.
Mr Baloyi said while it is necessary and important to inform the public about service delivery programs and to help them access such programs, he said Public Servants must be innovative in coming up with new ideas during the tough economic climate.
“The Department remains firm in the conviction that Government funds should be directed at the practical implementation of delivery of services to the people and minimise spending on all areas where it’s avoidable,” he said.
Mr Baloyi said advertising and marketing was one area where the Department could afford to cut costs.
He urged his staff not to be complacent but to continue providing the public with information on the fight against corruption and to adhere to other policies such as the Batho Pele principles, which revolve around creating an acceptable policy and legislative framework for providing service delivery.
Mr Baloyi said the Department had spent R12 million (A$1.74 million) in the 2008-09 financial year on advertising and marketing and a further R1.2 million (A$174,000) during the period ending 31 October 2009.
15 December, 2009
MALAWI
Overhaul for PS pensions
New measures have been announced to address disparities in pension benefits in the Malawi Public Service.
The Secretary for Human Resource Management and Development, Sam Madula said the calculations of pensions and gratuities would be based on the final salary per annum of the employee who was retiring.
“We have abolished the three-year salary averaging method of calculating pension and gratuity which Government has been using in the past years,” Mr Madula said.
He said as a result, the discount rate of four per cent currently used to calculate gratuities had been reduced to two per cent.
He said for pensions and gratuities for officers who had moved to permanent and pensionable terms like retirement, the calculation would cover the total period they had served minus the pension and gratuity drawn during the time they served on a performance related contract scheme.
He said pensions and gratuities for Public Servants currently on performance related contracts who had served for 10 years and those retired below the age of 60, would be deemed to be on permanent and pensionable terms effective from October 2009.
“Their pensions shall be computed as those officers who have reintegrated to permanent and pensionable terms,” Mr Madula said.
He advised all officers handling retirement benefits to start implementing the new pension reforms for the Malawi Civil Service.
15 December, 2009
NIGERIA
Public Service games
a success
Public Servants in Nigeria have been taking part in the 28th Federation of Public Service Games in Lagos in the Country’s south west.
The Games, which ran from 2 to 15 December, include volleyball, handball, table tennis, squash, basketball, tennis, athletics, badminton and boxing.
Chairman of the Lagos State Sports Council, Agboola Dabiri said all of Nigeria’s 36 States sent representatives to the games.
“The event is to enhance rapport among coaches and Civil Servants in the country and also to free ourselves from stress through sporting activities,’’ Mr Dabiri said.
He urged participants to be worthy ambassadors of the Public Service, adding that the objective of the games was not to win at all costs but to compete fairly.
Around 5,500 athletes competed in the games.
Christopher Agi and Dairo Adeyemi, both of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps won the men and women’s 100m gold medals while Loveth Ekeuhie from the National Sports Commission won the women’s long jump with 5.65 metres.
The Games were held at different Centres across the State of Lagos including
Teslim Balogun Stadium, Johnson Sports Centre, and the University of Lagos.
15 December, 2009
And From the World in Brief...
JAPAN
Legislation to abolish the top bureaucratic post of Administrative Vice Minister has been proposed by the Minister for Civil Service Reform in Japan, Yoshito Sengoku.
Mr Sengoku said having a top clerical post did not make sense and did not exist in the private sector.
The Administrative Vice Minister sits atop the bureaucratic hierarchy in each of the country’s 11 Ministries and the Cabinet Office and is a post held by elite Public Servants.
UGANDA
The Head of the Ugandan Public Service has accused staff in the Ministry of Education of spreading rumours about the Permanent Secretary under the guise of whistleblowing.
John Malita said the staff responsible for compiling a dossier accusing the Permanent Secretary, Francis Lubanga of appointing his relatives to the Ministry should be investigated and exposed.
Mr Mitala said while a whistleblower could help to unearth corruption in the Service, no person should be allowed to knowingly and willfully damage another person’s name and character.
MALAYSIA
The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) has called on the Public Service Department to increase the maximum salary of Public Servants by adding five increments or grades.
President of Cuepacs, Omar Osman said 45 per cent of Malaysia’s Public Servants were currently on their maximum pay level.
“We fear this will adversely impact their quality and productivity,” Mr Osman said.
ZIMBABWE
Public Service unions in Zimbabwe have warned members not to expect a ‘significant’ pay rise in 2010.
Executive Secretary of the Public Service Association, Emmanuel Matakura Tichareva said while A$654,000 had been reserved for wages in the 2010 Budget but the “devil is in the details.”
Mr Tichareva said because the Government had moved the tax-free income threshold up by just US$10 from US$150 to US$160, salary increments were expected to fall within that bracket and would not be significant.
UNITED STATES
The Department of Family and Protective Services in the State of Texas has announced a new campaign aimed at preventing infant deaths caused by unsafe sleeping habits.
The campaign will appear on radio and television in 2010 and include advice based around the theme ‘Give babies room to breathe’ and show how to make a child’s sleeping environment safer.
The campaign will specifically not address whether parents and their infants should sleep in the same bed.
8 December, 2009
NEW ZEALAND
PS criticised for privacy breaches
Government Departments in New Zealand have been urged to be more careful when dealing with personal and sensitive information.
Privacy Commissioner, Marie Shroff released her Annual Report for 2008-09, saying concerns over personal information and privacy laws had remained high.
Mrs Shroff issued a wake-up call to Public Service leaders to better protect privacy after a number of data breaches and surveys indicated privacy standards were not as good as they should be.
“I strongly urge middle and senior Public Sector managers to become more focused on data protection.” she said.
“This is a huge area - and it does not appear that Government Agencies have grasped that.
“This is the information century; data and its protection are part of our critical infrastructure. People should start seeing information handling as part of a business risk analysis - in just the same way they have policies and practices about health and safety, they need policies and practices about information handling.”
Mrs Shroff said the past year had seen a marked increase in enquiries and complaints to her Office, with 806 privacy complaints received this year, up 22 per cent from last year.
“Privacy issues permeate many areas of business, Government and society, and this year’s Annual Report reflects that,” she said.
Mrs Shroff said people were concerned about the use and security of their personal information.
“It could be their personal health information, data being transferred across national borders, information being shared in Government, or information used in credit reporting,” she said.
“These are just some topics on an ever-growing list.”The Law Commission is also undertaking a review of the Privacy Act and is expected to deliver its final report next year.
8 December, 2009
UNITED KINGDOM
Senior PS man to review email leaks
An independent review into the theft and online publication of a series of damaging emails on climate change from the University of East Anglia is to be headed by a senior Public Servant in the United Kingdom.
Sir Muir Russell was appointed by the University’s Climate Research Unit (CRU) to head the review after emails between researchers were hacked.
The emails allegedly show researchers at the CRU manipulated and suppressed data to make the human impact on climate change seem larger than it really is.
The Independent Review is expected to examine the hacked e-mail exchanges and other relevant information to determine whether there is any evidence of data manipulation or suppression at odds with acceptable scientific practice.
The allegations of data fabrication came in the lead up to the United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen and have fuelled outrage among climate skeptics.
As well as looking at the emails, Sir Muir will also review CRU’s policies and practices for acquiring and disseminating data and research findings.
The terms of reference of the Review also include looking at CRU’s compliance with the University’s policies regarding Freedom of Information requests and making recommendations on appropriate management, governance and security structures for CRU and the security of its data.
Sir Muir said he was “very willing” to undertake the review.
“Given the nature of the allegations it is right that someone who has no links to either the University or the Climate Science community looks at the evidence and makes recommendations based on what they find,” he said.
“My first task is to scope the project, gather the information I need and source the additional expertise that will be required in order to investigate fully the allegations that have been made.”
Announcing the Independent Review, the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Edward Acton said the reputation and integrity of the University were of the upmost importance.
“We want these allegations about CRU to be examined fully and independently,” Professor Acton said.
“That is why I am delighted that Sir Muir has agreed to lead the Independent Review and he will have my and the rest of University’s full support.”
Sir Muir is a science graduate with a long history in the Public Service, including roles in the Home Affairs Secretariat of the Cabinet Office and the Scottish Executive.
He is not a climate scientist and has no previous association with UEA.
The review is expected to be completed by around March 2010.
8 December, 2009
UNITED STATES
Harvard drops PS scheme
A Harvard Law School initiative that waived third year students’ tuition fees if they pledged to serve in the Public Sector for five years has been abandoned.
The Public Service Initiative (PSI) was launched last year and has been dropped due to budget cuts.
Dean of Harvard Law School (HLS), Martha Minow announced the initiative was to go in an e-mail to the student body.
Ms Minow said HLS also planned to decrease the amount of per-student funding for summer public interest work but would further expand loan repayment assistance for graduates.
She wrote that all current students would be able to participate in the PSI but that it was unlikely to be offered to future incoming classes.
HLS’ Assistant Dean for Public Service, Alexa Shabecoff said the school was committed to having a program that encouraged Public Service work and as such had formed a Committee to come up with a successor to the PSI by March 2010, with the aim of continuing to improve financial incentives for Public Service work.
When the program was launched last year, administrators were unsure how much student interest to expect, yet over 110 first-year students indicated their interest in the program, 50 per cent more than the targeted number.
This year, 58 third-year students signed up for the initiative, which had a budget of $3 million per year for a five-year period ending in 2012.
About 50 to 60 students entered the Public Service after graduation in previous years before the start of the tuition waiver.
8 December, 2009
MALTA
PS audit finds issues of concern
The National Audit Office (NAO) of Malta has uncovered monetary discrepancies of up to $1.5 million and a lack of adequate Police information in its 2008 Annual Report on Public Service Departments.
The NAO said the current systems and procedures used by the Police Department in managing arrears in revenue needed to be updated and that a lack of information was evident in Police cases where weapons and firearms could not be traced or located.
During its investigation of the Capital Transfer Duty Department, the NAO noted a discrepancy of €928,294 (A$1.5 million) between Provisional Duty refunds issued during 2008 noting a number of undelivered refund cheques that had not been accounted for.
The NAO’s 2008 Annual Report highlighted a number of shortcomings in the Public Service, including a poor claims system in the Ministry of Finance and a lack of means testing and poor record keeping in the Elderly and Community Care Department’s Home Care Help Services Scheme.
As part of the Audit, the Agriculture Support Schemes for Pig Meat and Fruit and Vegetables Subsidies were examined with inaccuracies in subsidy payments identified as well as inefficiencies in a number of management and administration processes.
The NAO said a number of Ministries and Departments had again failed to send their annual 2008 Return of Arrears of Revenue and that some Departments’ figures had to be published as they were received despite lacking a detailed breakdown of figures.
The Audit Office noted that just 15 of the 67 Local Government financial statements attracted unqualified audit reports.
8 December, 2009
CHINA
Call for fairer recruitment
Calls to make China’s Public Service recruitment system fairer and more transparent have followed news that a record one million young people sat for China’s national entrance exam last month.
To enter the Chinese Public Service, all candidates must sit a Civil Service Exam.
China’s Civil Service Exams include four levels: national, provincial, municipal and county.
While the national-level exams are the most difficult and competitive, junior level Public Servants working at a national level are able to progress to more senior posts twice as fast as those working at a county level.
It takes around six to 10 years for a national level Public Servant to climb from the post of a junior official to that of a deputy director.
At the municipal level, an official has to spend 12 to 16 years to achieve the same goal and a county level official has to work for at least 20 years.
National Civil Service Exams are considered to be relatively standard, however corruption and interference in the lower level exams by local Authorities is high.
Chinese Newspaper, Shanghai Business Daily said to “prevent rules from being twisted in Civil Service Exams and to make the recruitment process fair and transparent, China should change the pattern of the municipal and county level exams.”
The record one million youths taking the annual national Civil Service Exam represents a 30 per cent rise on the 700,000 who sat the exam last year.
The youths sat the exam despite just 15,000 jobs being available.
8 December, 2009
UNITED STATES
Security lapse sparks crackdown
A security breach at a State Dinner held at the White House last month has lent new urgency to a review of Secret Service procedures.
A “top-to-bottom” review of the Agency’s Protective Department commenced not long after US President Barack Obama’s inauguration in January this year.
The breach came when Tareq and Michaele Salahi gained entry to the dinner without an invitation and managed to shake hands with Mr Obama.
Secret Service Chief, Mark Sullivan told a hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee that the agents who admitted the couple through a White House checkpoint had been suspended and could lose their jobs.
Mr Sullivan told the Congressional committee his Agency had made a mistake and called the breach “unacceptable and indefensible.”
“I regret on Tuesday, November 24 established protocols and procedures were not followed allowing two individuals entry into the White House,” he said.
“In our own judgment, a mistake was made. We cannot afford even one mistake.”
The Salahis refused to appear before the Committee and are expected to be issued with a subpoena to force them to testify.
Former Secret Service agent, William H. Pickle Jr said he expected security around Mr Obama and his family would be tightened.
“I would encourage the White House social office to buy umbrellas before the next event, because you can be sure the Secret Service will be doing their job, and it may be that visitors will be out there for a very long time.”
8 December, 2009
NIGERIA
Travel crackdown announced
New travel guidelines for the Nigerian Public Service have been issued to help monitor travel undertaken by Permanent Secretaries and other officials.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Stephen Orosanye announced the guidelines in the country’s capital, Abuja, saying they would help regulate official travel.
Mr Orosanye released a Circular saying the guidelines followed on from the establishment of the Service-Wide electronic Travel Desk (the Desk), which is in his office.
In the Circular, Mr Orosanye said the guidelines would govern the operations of the Desk and facilitate the procurement of travel tickets for all officers embarking on approved local and foreign trips.
He said the desk management team was headed by the HCSF and had five other senior Government Officials as members.
The members include the Permanent Secretary of the General Services Office, Permanent Secretary of the Chief Security Office and the Accountant-General of the Federation and Director of Finance while the Head of the Central Travel Desk would serve as the secretary.
Mr Orosanye said the Desk would ratify all approved official travel of Permanent Secretaries, Directors-General and approve direct payment to airlines for all travel segments flown.
8 December, 2009
IRELAND
Second pay strike
called off
Irish trade unions have called off a second 24-hour strike and offered the Government a package of measures designed to cut the Public Service wage bill by around €1.3 billion (A$2.1 billion) in 2010.
The package was delivered following two nights of discussion, including one 23-hour session and is currently with the Irish Cabinet for ratification.
In a statement, the Impact Union said it welcomed the call to cancel the strike.
“The Government has confirmed that they are satisfied that a temporary alternative to pay cuts can be achieved in 2010, based primarily on unpaid leave,” the Union said.
Trade Unions said they deferred the second strike due to indications Public Servants would be allowed to take unpaid leave next year instead of taking a straight pay cut.
The Head of the Irish Government, Taoiseach Brian Cowen said 12 days unpaid leave was one union proposal the Government was studying, but that no conclusion had yet been reached.
Mr Cowen and the Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan said the Government would achieve its desired €4 billion (A$6.5 billion) in savings, would cut Public Sector pay by €1.3 billion (A$2.1 billion), and that the cuts would be permanent.
Union leaders have admitted the unpaid leave provisions would not reach the Government’s cost reduction targets, but said any additional measures put in place should not hit any one part of the Public Service disproportionately.
Other measures being discussed by Trade Unions and Government officials included the possibility of paying overtime at a flat rate and deferring increments for staff.
According to the Irish Times, Public Servants would face having 4.6 per cent of their income deducted next year under the proposed unpaid leave arrangement.
The Times said in some cases it could be up to six years before the full complement of days off could be taken.
8 December, 2009
ISRAEL
Bid to introduce
national service
The Chief of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has expressed his support for a national service system that would see all Israelis drafted.
Chief of Staff of the IDF, Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi said under the scheme the IDF would select some citizens to serve in the army.
Lt-Gen Ashkenazi said national service was needed due to a decline in the number of recruits over the past several years.
He said the decline was in keeping with lower overall birth rates and immigration rates and a rise in the Arab and ultra-Orthodox populations, members of which do not generally serve in the army.
Lt-Gen Ashkenazi made the comments at a conference for high school principals on preparing for military service.
He said within the next 20 years, the reality would be that “perhaps only a few will enlist in the IDF” but that more people were needed to meet security and social justice requirements.
The new model of service that Mr Ashkenazi described would require all Israelis, including Arabs and the ultra-Orthodox, to sign up for a national service that could include military service for suitable candidates.
“The IDF gets first pick, and chooses the people it needs based on clear criteria,” he said.
“The other draftees would then become candidates for Civil Service selection, and could serve in the police force or a firefighting unit.”
While no formal action has been taken to implement the recruitment model, military officials said the Chief of Staff was primarily trying to generate public debate and encourage renewed thinking about the national service.
8 December, 2009
FIJI
The Ministry for Finance in Fiji has announced plans to outsource some Government Services, including the functions Department of Public Works, to local and overseas contractors.
The move is expected to impact on the number of Public Servants who will retire during 2010, with 300 expected to leave due to the compulsory retirement policy.
Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s office, Pio Tikoduadua said outsourcing didn’t mean people would lose their jobs as private companies would need to hire those who retired.
Over two thousand Public Servants have retired since the compulsory retirement policy was implemented in April 2009.
MALDIVES
The Maldives’ Public Service is facing pay cuts and redundancies with the President, Mohamed Nasheed saying he wants to cut the country’s 39,000 Public Service jobs by half.
President Nasheed said he hoped the thousands of Public Servants who were made redundant would take up alternative employment in the private sector or undertake vocational training.
He was accused however of using the job cuts to target Opposition members and appoint people who support his own party.
GHANA
A National Security investigation into the Ministry of Youth and Sport that resulted in the Chief Director of the Ministry being stood down has been deemed unlawful.
The High Court in Ghana found removing the Chief Director, Albert Ampong, was a breach of the Civil Service Act.
The Court held Mr Ampong’s rights were violated as he was not provided with the chance to defend himself and no charges were actually levelled against him.
SCOTLAND
Affordable housing in Scotland has reached a record high, with Government figures revealing a 71 per cent increase in homes funded by the Country’s Affordable Housing Investment Program during July and September 2009 compared to the same period in 2008.
In contrast there were 33 per cent fewer private homes completed between April and June this year than in 2008.
Overall there was a 17 per cent fall in private and social completions over the past year.
UNITED KINGDOM
A White Paper has recommended that Police Forces in England and Wales make cuts of around £545 million (A$976 million) by 2014.
The cuts represent about five per cent of Government grants allocated to the Forces.
Suggestions of where to make the savings included bulk buying of IT systems, uniforms and vehicles rather than placing separate orders and by cutting overtime.
1 December, 2009
SOUTH KOREA
New powers for corruption fighters
The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission in South Korea has unveiled a plan to gain access to the personal bank and other records of Public Servants.
Chairman of the Commission, Lee Jae-oh said the Commission would be moving to have the law changed so that it could investigate corrupt Public Servants and Government offices more thoroughly.
Mr Lee said he wanted to step up investigations into Public Servants.
The Commission’s move has been met with fierce resistance from the Opposition who accused the Commission and Mr Lee of trying to “wield omnipotent power.”
Mr Lee said the Commission would also seek the power to demand information on individual Public Servants from public offices to evaluate their transparency more effectively.
He said Public Servants would be required to cooperate with the Commission.
He said the Commission should also be transformed into a Presidential Commission under the supervision of Prime Minister Chung Un-chan.
The Opposition said the Commission’s attempt to gain more power was an attempt to “legitimately exercise power above the law.”
Mr Lee argued that South Korea needed a new investigative authority to fight Public Service Corruption.
1 December, 2009
FIJI
IMF urges caution
on PS reforms
The International Monetary Fund has warned the Fijian Government not to rush reforms to the country’s Public Service.
Chief of the Asia and Pacific Department of IMF, Ray Brooks said while the Public Service reform was aimed at reducing Government expenditure, it also posed the danger of losing experienced workers.
Mr Brooks made the comments to Fijian Prime Minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama at the end of the IMF team’s two-week visit to Fiji.
Mr Brooks said the IMF team welcomed the Government’s move to corporatise water, procurement and printing services, saying it was a step in the right direction.
He said privatising the services would allow the Government to redirect funds to other areas such as education.
However, the IMF team called on Commodore Bainimarama to stop borrowing money, shrink its current spending levels and shift its focus on reducing overall expenditure.
The team suggested reducing salaries and wages as one way to cut costs.
Mr Brooks and the team made the recommendations as the Country’s Civil Service Week wound up.
The week aimed to make it more convenient for the public to interact with Government Agencies, bringing services onto the streets of the capital city, Suva.
Head of Health Promotion, Peceli Vosanibola said the Ministry of Health offered eye examinations, a blood drive, dental checkups, health screenings and other advice as part of the week.
“It’s free medical checks – no waiting, no need to take a number,” Mr Vosanibola said.
“I think people are more health conscious now due to awareness.”
He said the event was the biggest since the initiative began several years ago.
“It’s the Government going out to the people rather than waiting in our offices,” Mr Vosanibola said.
1 December, 2009
SINGAPORE
Wages cut, increases delayed
Wages for top Public Servants in Singapore have decreased by 22 per cent this year and increases scheduled for January are to be delayed.
Plans to increase the salaries of Cabinet ministers, appointment holders and top Public Servants have been put on hold for the second year in a row, despite being part of salary revisions that were benchmarked against the private sector.
PS salaries were to be boosted to retain talent in the public sector.
The Public Service Division (PSD) said annual salaries of officers in the elite Administrative Service, and of political, judicial and statutory appointment holders had shrunk due to the impacts of the global financial crisis.
Administrative Officers on the Superscale Grade (SR9) received annual pay packages of $338,100 (A$267,600), a 15 per cent decline from $399,500 (A$316,200) last year.
According to the PSD, the global financial crisis also impacted on the one-off year-end bonus paid to Singapore’s 60,000 Public Servants.
Employees will receive a bonus capped at S$750 (A$590) instead of their usual bonus for the first time since bonuses were introduced.
The PSD said the bonus was in line with an agreement between Government, employers and unions and acknowledged employees’ support for wage restraint and the work they had put in to help deal with the recession.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister in Charge of the Civil Service, Teo Chee Hean said the Government wanted to recognise the willingness of Public Servants to accept wage reductions.
“We have yet to see a sustained recovery; hence, we are taking a cautiously optimistic and balanced approach in giving a modest one-off year-end payment,” Mr Teo said.
When asked when Public Servants could expect to receive better bonuses, he said pay in the Public Service should be market competitive.
“It has served us well thus far,” Mr Teo said.
“We’ve been able to attract, retain and have a good Civil Service.”
Singapore’s economy is expected to shrink by 2 to 2.5 per cent this year.
1 December, 2009
UNITED KINGDOM
Zero carbon buildings
on the way
The United Kingdom’s Minister for Housing and Planning, John Healey has announced the UK will be the first State in the world to make zero carbon homes a legal requirement from 2016.
Mr Healy has proposed that all new Public Service buildings be zero carbon from 2018 and all new commercial buildings from 2019.
Under the plan, new buildings would be required to have better insulated walls, windows, ceilings and floors.
Mr Healy said £3.2 million (A$5.8 million) was being made available for research into designing and building energy efficient homes.
He said a new Government consortium would use its potential £10bn (A$18.1 billion) buying power to boost green skills and technology and drive down costs.
“There’s a driving force behind the green homes movement from homeowners, developers and local authorities, to reduce energy bills and carbon emissions,” Mr Healy said.
“We’re pushing at an open door, and there is a lot of momentum to change and radically re-think how we design our homes and buildings for the future.”
He said although new homes were 40 per cent more energy efficient in 2009 compared to 2002, he believed the Government could do more.
“As a country, nearly half of our carbon emissions come from the built environment,” Mr Healy said.
“That’s more than roads, railways and airports combined.”
Criticism of the plan has been made by the building sector, with Executive Chairman of the Home Builders Federation, Stewart Baseley pointing out the legislation would only relate to new buildings which make up a small percentage of properties.
“The industry will … need to assess the merits of specific delivery options and keep a close eye on the cost implications as part of the wider issue of ensuring the zero carbon policy is affordable,” Mr Baseley said.
1 December, 2009
GHANA
President assures PS
over sackings
Public Servants in Ghana have been assured by the President that they will not be dismissed from their positions due to their political affiliations.
The President, Professor John Atta Mills, said no one would be fired unless they breached the rules and regulations governing the conduct and behaviour of Public Service employees.
Spokesperson for the President, Mahama Ayariga said the Government was committed to fairness for all Ghanaians.
Mr Ayariga said the appointment of Public Servants was not political but based on “certain technical considerations.”
He said the President believed that the Public Service recruitment structures meant the ruling Government could not, under any circumstances, remove Public Servants from their posts at will.
Commenting on recent developments regarding the distribution of political positions within the ruling party (National Democratic Congress, NDC), Mr Ayariga said Professor Mills believed the Government had ensured equity when sharing posts across the regions.
“The Government has ensured regional equity in the sharing of ministerial posts and we are all challenged to look at the data on regional distribution of ministerial appointments and we will observe that President Mills’s record is unsurpassed,” Mr Ayariga said.
“Even the NDC administration which managed the country between 1992 and 2000 never witnessed such a massive scale of party officials directly taking up Government appointments.”
He said none of the core members of Professor Mills’ campaign team in the 2008 campaign, including himself, had taken up ministerial appointments.
1 December, 2009
SOUTH AFRICA
Independent health watchdog appointed
An independent health watchdog is to be introduced in South Africa by April 2010 to ensure clinics and hospitals operate at appropriate standards.
Deputy Minister for Health, Dr Molefi Sefularo said the watchdog would report to Parliament directly or through the Minister.
Dr Sefularo said the new body would not reside within the Department of Health as it would be judging the Department’s standards.
“We should therefore separate the authority to ensure that standards are maintained,” he said.
The new body is expected to have wide-ranging powers, including the ability to shut down any private or public facilities it deemed unfit.
Dr Sefularo said the national standards the watchdog was to uphold would be presented to the National Health Council soon.
“These core standards reflect the basic requirements expected of all managers for us to provide safe and decent care in South Africa,” he said.
The standards place patients’ rights first and aim to ensure they are treated with “respect and dignity.”
“To those using our public services, the attitude of our staff, the environment within which they are treated and the length of time they have to wait are at the top of the list of their ‘expected performance’,” Dr Sefularo said.
“Unfortunately these are often aspects where our performance is sadly lacking.”
He said six priority areas had been identified: patient safety, infection control, availability of drugs, waiting times, cleanliness and staff attitudes.
The Department of Health is expected to visit 1,000 facilities, or 25 per cent of the entire Public Service network, by March 2010 to monitor progress in these areas.
“The work on intervening will begin immediately... We are looking at the 18 most distressed districts first,” Dr Sefularo said.
“This time we will not simply be issuing a call to action... we will be ensuring that the knowledge, skills and support that our staff need to actually solve the problems and remove the obstacles... are developed and shared across the system.”
1 December, 2009
UNITED KINGDOM
PS to be moved out
of London
Plans to cut public debt and create a culture of “smarter Government” in the United Kingdom could see thousands of Public Servants moved out of London and the south east.
The Guardian newspaper has reported the plan saying it was part of a effort to downscale Whitehall, cut costs and boost regional jobs.
Parts of a Treasury report due to be published in coming weeks were leaked to the Guardian and showed the Government wanted to conduct a review into the possibility of relocating the staff of “arms-length bodies” based in London.
According to the newspaper, the review will be guided by the principle that only those Public Servants “required for ministerial support or personal interaction” should remain in the South-East of England.
The draft report also included plans to reduce the cost of senior Public Servants, which have increased in numbers from 3,100 to 4,300 since the 1990s.
It also proposed the number of non-government organisations that perform government functions (quangos) across Whitehall be cut and that it be made more difficult to set new ones up.
In order to set up a new quango, Ministers would have to make their case to the House of Commons.
The proposed guidelines would also include the provision that any new quango that failed to perform its role would have to be disbanded within a year.
It also suggested merging backroom functions in some Government Departments, but stopped short of saying whole Departments should be scrapped.
1 December, 2009
JAMAICA
Tax system to be overhauled
Jamaica’s Minister for Finance, Audley Shaw has announced reforms to the administrative structure of the tax system.
Mr Shaw said he was preparing a document that would address key taxation issues.
The document is expected to look at separating the process of domestic and international taxation and to outline further reforms to the system.
It is also expected to provide approaches to help Departments and Agencies get rid of the practice of tax evasion and corruption.
Under the reform, the Customs Department is to be converted to an Executive Agency and domestic tax administration is to concentrate more efficiently on Inland Revenue service, audit and assessment and compliance capabilities.
Government negotiation of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Public Service unions could also be set to change, with Mr Shaw saying Public Sector MoUs had been negotiated “in a vacuum” for too long.
The announcement came following news the Government had begun restructuring the Public Service to make it more productive, efficient and cost effective.
Trade Unionist, Lambert Brown said he did not think it was necessary for the Government to establish a Public Sector Transformation Unit, as the current MoU process already provided for the reformation of the Service.
1 December, 2009
NIGERIA
PS issues to be
put on paper
A committee has been established to draw up a position paper on issues concerning the Nigerian Public Service.
Head of the Service of the Federation, Steve Oronsaye said six people had been chosen to sit on the committee at the 34th meeting of the National Council of Establishments, which includes Nigeria’s 36 States.
The National Council on Establishments is responsible for advising Government on the formulation of establishment policies for the smooth running of the Public Service.
The committee is expected to look at issues affecting the PS in light of the review of the 1999 Constitution and will be chaired by the head of the Imo State Civil Service, A.M.A Ndugbu.
Mr Oronsaye said the States had also called for the removal of the ceiling on the salary grade level and rank attainable by Higher National Diploma holders.
“The Council noted this request and reiterated that there is already in existence bridging arrangement which makes conversion possible from technical/technological cadres to the officer cadre in the Public Service,” Mr Oronsaye said.
He said that at the meeting another committee had been established to come up with a position paper on fundamental issues concerning the Public Service, such as Local Government Council services.
1 December, 2009
And From the World in Brief...
INDONESIA
Over 200,000 people have taken a Public Service selection test in North Sumatra in Indonesia, despite only14,114 positions being available in the province.
The high number of participants forced several State schools to declare a holiday for students while their classrooms were used for the test, which several teachers were assigned to oversee.
Despite the relatively low salaries, Public Service jobs are prized by many people, especially in regional areas, because of job security, pension and health insurance.
CHINA
Candidates caught cheating in China’s Public Service entrance exam will face a five-year or life-time ban from resitting the exam.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security published the new rules, saying “serious offenders” would face the life-time ban.
The State Administration of Civil Service said a new exam information management system would be established to make the exam more transparent and fair.
IRELAND
The Head of the Irish Government, Taoiseach Brian Cowen has declared the Government won’t be forced into a deal with unions by the threat of future Public Service strikes.
Mr Cowen said he would prefer to do a deal with the unions, but if a deal could not be struck, that the Government would go ahead with PS pay cuts anyway.
He said he was disappointed at recent PS strike action.
UNITED STATES
A new emergency notification system for Xbox, Wii and PlayStation games is expected to be introduced in the state of New York in 2010, with the games pausing in the event of a State emergency.
State Emergency Management said video games would pause and warnings about imminent danger and severe weather would appear on the screen.
While warnings are currently voluntary, officials were working with technology companies to devise a non-voluntary version of the alerts.
UNITED KINGDOM
A report into police tactics during public protests has found police in the United Kingdom must change to adapt to the “realities and fundamental right” of all people to organise peaceful protests.
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary conducted the report, saying police needed to be accountable and transparent.
The Association of Police Authorities (APA) “wholeheartedly” welcomed the report, which it said “pulled no punches.”
“The APA will work with partners to provide appropriate training and will draw on existing good practice and experience, in particular to develop common guidelines for police authorities on monitoring public order policing as a matter of urgency,” the APA said.