Introduction
For some time now, I have been considering writing on the subject of the Public Service. However, other priorities took precedence. What prompted me to do so now, was the speech by the former President at the funeral of the late Reepu Daman Persaud as well as the various comments I read in the print media about the speech, particularly the editorial of the Stabroek News of 15 April 2013.
The general reaction was that the “anti-Indian sentiments” expressed in the speech on employment in the Public Service were uncalled for, having regard to the nature of the occasion. They have the potential to ignite ethnic tensions and animosity. The former President served for 12 years, and his accumulation of knowledge and experience during these years would have placed him in good stead to be looked upon as a guiding light, indeed a fountain of wisdom and a father figure, to assist in healing the wounds inflicted upon this nation since the early 1950s. However, so far this does not appear to be the case. One sincerely hopes that the former President will, in his moment of quietude, undergo serious introspection and make the necessary adjustments in order to retrieve lost ground and to leave a lasting legacy.
Today, we will discuss my experience of the Public Service during the period I served, and compare it with what prevails today.
Political neutrality
Guyana inherited from the British a truly professional Public Service that was politically neutral. The Permanent Secretary and his/her Deputy grew out of the system, and there was every expectation of public officers that, through the dint of hard work and dedication, they would be able to earn their places among the senior echelons in the Service. Here the word “permanent” is highly relevant. As governments come and go, it was the Permanent Secretary and his/her Deputy, indeed the entire Public Service, that provided the institutional memory to assist a new government during the transitional period. Officers were trained to serve the Government of the day, regardless of their political affiliations and inclinations.
Unfortunately, this concept of political neutrality is being whittled away with each passing day. We have seen how some Permanent Secretaries and their Deputies have been appointed outside the Public Service based on political considerations. Even within the Public Service, persons who display political loyalty tend to be favoured in terms of appointment to senior positions on terms and conditions that are superior to those that pertain to the regular public servant. They become “contracted” employees, and therefore the rigorous Public Service procedures regarding their appointments are not applicable, especially with regard to transparency. Some of these contracted employees are retained way beyond their retirement age, enjoy handsome salaries and other conditions of service in addition to their retirement benefits. It is therefore not surprising that a few such officers enjoy salaries in excess of $1 million, perhaps $2 million, whereas the regular public service pay for such positions may not exceed $300,000!
In the United Nations, one cannot enjoy both a salary and a pension. If an officer is rehired for an extended period after retirement and as a result earns more than US$20,000 per annum, he/she has to forego his/her pension. In addition, the person cannot be rehired in the same position from which he/she has retired, as this practice stifles upward mobility and militates against effective succession planning. When I was about to retire from the United Nations, the Board of Auditors requested from the Secretary General an extension of my retirement on some very valid grounds, but the Secretary General was committed to making the Organisation more cost efficient. As a result, the recruitment of my successor had to be fast-tracked, and there was a period of overlap to ensure an effective transition before I demitted office. Cost efficiency and effectiveness in all areas of operation in the Government are badly needed in this country.
Recruitment of public officers
I joined the Service in December 1987 as Deputy Auditor General. In this capacity, I was the Accounting Officer and I was also responsible for the day-to-day running of the Office. I had to be very familiar with the Public Service rules and the various circulars issued from time to time. As regards the recruitment, promotion, transfer and discipline of staff members, I had no authority to act on my own. There was a strong, effective and fully functioning Public Service Commission (PSC), a constitutional body responsible for these aspects of human resources management.
My role was restricted only to making recommendations, and there was no guarantee that the PSC would act on any of my recommendations. The Public Service rules, the PSC’s own procedures, and various policy decisions emanating from the Public Service Ministry (PSM), were the sources of reference for the PSC’s work. There was a high degree of professionalism in dealing with public service matters, and officers attached to both entities were highly trained and skilled in these matters. They were also looked upon for the necessary guidance and support that they readily gave.
All vacant positions in the Public Service were advertised publicly, and there was a rigorous system for assessing applicants, short-listing, interviewing and selection. It was as far as possible a fair, just and equitable system, and there was transparency throughout the recruitment process. If additional positions were sought, over and above the authorized staffing, one had to present to the Ministry adequate justification well in advance so that, if approved, the staffing table could be adjusted in the following year’s Estimates of Expenditure. It was not easy to secure additional positions at the time because of World Bank/IMF conditionalities on employment costs that included a reduction of the number of government workers.
If officers were not satisfied that they were fairly treated, the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) was vigorous and vibrant in taking up their cases. If the matters remained unresolved, there was recourse to the Public Service Appellate Tribunal and ultimately to the Ombudsman. Regrettably, the GPSU does not appear to be as vibrant and effective as it used to be. In addition, neither the Tribunal nor an Ombudsman is in place. As a result, aggrieved workers have no alternative than recourse to the Courts which is an expensive proposition, not to mention the prolonged delays this may entail, given the backlogged of cases before the Courts.
Qualifications, pay and grades
There was a uniform system in terms of qualifications, grades and salary scales to which there was strict adherence. If officers possessed qualifications and experience over and above the minimum requirements, they could be placed on a higher point in the salary scales. The system was also very open and transparent since the information could be found in various circulars, updated from time to time. Everyone who was recruited was placed on the pensionable establishment, except for project workers under the Government’s capital expenditure programme jointly financed by international funding agencies, and temporary and casual employees.
Promotion was based on seniority, defined in terms of years of service in a particular position, subject to satisfactory performance based on a system of annual staff appraisals. Because of the hierarchy of experience requirements needed for upward mobility, persons with enhanced qualifications but without the requisite experience found it difficult to enter the Public Service at supervisory, and middle and senior management levels.
Former President Desmond Hoyte sought to correct this deficiency. In this regard, special salaries were offered to a small number of Permanent Secretaries and their Deputies as part of the Economic Recovery Programme (ERP) entered into in 1988 in order attract the much-needed skills, to enhance the professionalism and efficiency in the Public Service and to provide for a more business management approach. The revenue generating (Customs & Inland Revenue), and monitoring (Ministry of Finance) and controlling agencies (Office of the Auditor General) were also offered special salaries. Regrettably, when the Administration changed in 1992, the offer of special salaries was withdrawn. As a result, several of the trained and highly skilled officers left the Audit Office. It is interesting to consider the prevailing situation in terms of what the Administration had dubbed “super salaries”.
Duty-free concessions
The emoluments of public servants were not as attractive as those for employees in the private sector and the rest of the public sector. In recognition of this, a system was in place for senior officers, for example, the Permanent Secretary and the Deputy Permanent Sectretary, as well as those officers who are required to travel as part of their duties, to be granted duty-free concessions to enable them to acquire their own vehicles. They were, however, required to use their vehicles in the performance of their duties for which they obtain a fixed monthly allowance as well as a mileage allowance. The PSM decided on those who were entitled to these concessions and maintained the list of such office holders. Again, the system was very open and transparent.
When I was attached to the Guyana State Corporation in the early 1980s, I was not eligible for duty-free concession despite the fact that I was required to travel extensively as part of my official duties. This was because the public corporations were paying salaries higher than those of the Public Service. Today, it is unclear what laid-down procedures are applied for the grant of duty-free concessions to public officers and other persons. In particular, there is evidence that contracted employees are offered this facility, contrary to the long-established principle based on salary considerations. There is also a lack of cost effectiveness in such a practice.
Duty-free concessions are granted every five years for the acquisition of new vehicles. For used vehicles, the period is three years. This is quite an expensive proposition for the State, considering the extent to which such concessions are given. It would be interesting to learn what percent of revenue is foregone as a result of the grant of duty-free concessions to all sectors of the society. In 1992, the World Bank estimated that figure to be in the vicinity of 80 percent.
To be continued
