Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar SC is advocating for an end to prolonged acting appointments in the public service, saying the recent appointment of Permanent Secretaries brings much-needed stability and certainty at the senior level of the public service.
Speaking at a luncheon honouring 24 recently appointed Permanent Secretaries, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar acknowledged that acting appointments may sometimes be necessary but should not become permanent.
“While acting arrangements are sometimes necessary, too many officers have remained in such positions for extended periods, and I remember from the platform I used to say we could get some Oscar nominations and Oscar awards for people who have been just acting, acting. That’s why I appreciate your work, PS, the PSC Service Commission done. So all 24 of you were probably acting acting. I don’t know for how long. PS Barrow. Service Commission. So today we are very proud to lift you out of being Oscar nominees.”
The Prime Minister also reminded the Permanent Secretaries of their critical role in supporting Ministers and ensuring timely and accurate responses to questions raised in Parliament.
“I think several times the Leader of the Senate will tell me and the Leader of the House will tell me the questions are there and the Ministers are not responding in a timely fashion. But when we stand in that Parliament to answer those questions, we are accounting to the people. And part of your role is to help us to give an accurate account of whatever it is that we are being asked.”
Meanwhile, Head of the Public Service and Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister, Natasha Barrow, said citizens must remain at the centre of public service delivery.
“The Public Service must be an environment in which citizens feel respected, heard, and valued. We must continually ask ourselves whether the systems we have created are making people’s lives easier or more difficult. This is particularly important as we seek to build a modern public service, one that is responsive, efficient, innovative, and service-oriented.”
Tobago’s Deputy Chief Secretary, Dr Faith Brebnor, said despite serving in different capacities, Permanent Secretaries share a common responsibility to work for the benefit of the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
“We may have different roles, we may have different responsibilities, we may have different thoughts about what we should and shouldn’t do. But we serve the same people, and we must therefore pursue the same greater good. Our collective ambition must be to make, in the case of Tobago, the greatest little island on the planet, and what we know is that when Tobago succeeds, Trinidad and Tobago succeeds.”
Speaking on behalf of the Permanent Secretaries, Head of the Foreign Service, Randall Karim, pledged their support to the Prime Minister and the Government.
“Madam Prime Minister, members of the Cabinet, we know that all of us come to you all with different personalities, different skill sets, but we want to assure you that our goal as Permanent Secretaries is to simply make sure that you succeed and that the Government of Trinidad and Tobago succeeds.”
The appointed Permanent Secretaries have been tasked with strengthening leadership, accountability and service delivery across the public service.