Team spirit vital to boost development – VP |23 June 2009
The full text of Mr Belmont’s message is as follows:
“It gives me great pleasure to address this message to the Seychelles public service to mark Public Service Day today. While the day is meant to recognise the efforts and contribution of public officers, it is also an opportunity for them to reflect on the functions, missions and objectives as well as the challenges facing the public service.
“The public service in Seychelles is made up of men and women who possess a high degree of professionalism and an ability to assist the country’s leadership to set standards in managing human, financial and material resources to achieve effective good government.
“However, today, the Seychelles economy is going through a period of fiscal challenges, and to prevent us from backsliding, when our development efforts are equal to those of western countries, we have to look at new possibilities and adopt certain measures which will allow us to remodel our economy into a modern one.
“The public service has an important role to play in the development process of the country in order to ensure that sustainable development is not jeopardised.
“The theme chosen to mark this year’s Public Service Day is: Maintaining sustainable development – fostering partnership for improved public service delivery. The theme aptly supports the government’s efforts to involve key players in society to take part fully in the development process.
“Government alone cannot meet all the expectations of its citizens. It seeks partnership through the creation of economic conditions conducive to increased wealth generation by private businesses and individuals that will permit all non-state partners to assist with service delivery and make their contribution to the sustainable development of the country.
“Government aims to accomplish this by transforming itself from an active participant and driver of development to focus instead on operating as an economic facilitator.
“As citizens question whether government, in this current economic climate, can allocate the required resources for public services, the executive leadership has met citizens on home ground to seek their involvement in the development efforts, to explain changes in policy, revised procedures and new measures adopted to re-engineer the transformation of public services.
“On June 12, 2008, government signed a memorandum of understanding with civil society for NGO/government relations. Government has also made sure that the private sector makes an important contribution to the country’s main economic pillar – tourism – through one of its agencies. Several public sector employees affected by the retrenchment programme have been retrained for the tourism sector.
“Government will continue with its reforms in the public service, and while the strategies for change have been influenced by the economic and fiscal environment, all the key players in the development process have to come together in partnerships to add to productivity-driven economic growth to maintain our social responsibilities and sustain development.
“Partnership among all agencies and arms of government are equally important. I urge all employees of public sector organisations to consult widely among themselves in order to promote the sharing of ideas, ownership, team-building and the pooling of resources necessary for national development.
“As once again we celebrate Public Service Day, let us build on our achievements and continue with the transformation of the public sector for more efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
“On this special day I take the opportunity to thank all public officers for their devotion to duty and all partners who have been supportive in our efforts to offer improved public services. Let our reflection today steer us on the changing path of reforms and lead us towards an efficient public service.”
Koste Travayer Servis Piblik!