The remarkable contribution of public officers in ensuring efficient delivery of services among the public and leveraging the country to new heights of success was underpinned on 23 June, by the Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth.
He was speaking at an official ceremony organised at the Swami Vivekananda International Convention Centre in Pailles, to mark the United Nations (UN) Public Service Day, celebrated each year on 23 June. The Minister of Public Service, Administrative and Institutional Reforms, Dr Anjiv Ramdhany, other Ministers, Members of the National Assembly, Senior officials and public sector employees, were present.
On the occasion, a Souvenir Magazine and a Handbook for the Promotion of Safety and Health at workplace, were also launched by the Prime Minister.
In his keynote address, Prime Minister Jugnauth lauded the dedication, commitment and hard work of public officers, referring them to unsung heroes who work selflessly to serve the country and its citizens. “Public officers form the backbone of the socio-economic development of the country”, he stated while expressing his pride as regards the acclamation of Mauritius as the beacon of economic success in Sub-Saharan Africa. He recalled that the perseverance of public officers has been fruitful in the transition of Mauritius from being a monocrop economy to a diversified and services-oriented economy, citing it as an economic miracle.
The UN Public Service Day, he observed, is a unique opportunity to recognise and valorise the role and efforts of public officers in accelerating development and sustaining progress. According to him, public officers should espouse values such as discipline, determination, courtesy and resilience to be able to assume their responsibilities in the best way possible. Likewise, he condemned acts of misconduct of some members of the public vis-à-vis public officers while underlining the need to maintain a good approach with the citizens.
The safety and well-being of public officers remain high on Government’s agenda, stated Prime Minister Jugnauth, while adding that the Handbook for promotion of health and safety at workplace will enlist important guidelines. He also reiterated Government’s commitment in providing public officers with training and capacity building opportunities. To this end, he indicated that the Civil Service College at Ebène has nearly reached completion and will be inaugurated in September this year. He expressed gratitude to the Indian Government for their financial assistance for the realisation of the project.
Drawing on the importance of technology, the Prime Minister enumerated a series of projects that are geared towards the inclusion of technology in the enhancement of service delivery and the quality of life of citizens. These include the provision of Minimum Wage and Minimum Guaranteed Income and payment of double pay rate for people working on shift and roster on Sundays. Additionally, the public service sector has adopted a number of technologically advanced systems such as the e-HR, e-DMS, a modernised performance management system, he said, adding that other projects such as the Vehicle Management System are underway.
Concerning the revision of salary, Prime Minister Jugnauth reassured that works are ongoing at the level of the Pay Research Bureau. He also pointed out that new measures such as the Sexual Harassment Workplace Policy will be introduced for the welfare of public officers. As regards emerging challenges, the Prime Minister is convinced that public officers will continue to put in their best efforts and reinforce the country’s resilience ahead of its set target to become a Trillion-Rupee Economy by 2029. Government, he reiterated, will continue to support public officers and provide them with necessary opportunities to thrive.
For his part, Minister Ramdhany, spoke on the importance of a productive human resource in the public sector. The public sector of any country, he stated, is the bedrock for its socio-economic development and a strong public sector is critical to the prosperity of a nation. He outlined the key role of public officers in facilitating access of the citizens to services. He also accentuated on the power of emerging technologies to improve access to services, facilitate businesses and pave a roadmap for a more efficient Public Service.
