PSC Committed to Empowering Ministries to Perform HR Functions - Chair

By: Lamin B. Darboe

 

 

The Chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC) has guaranteed that his institution will continue to roll out some of its functions to other ministries and empower them to Perform more fundamental Human Resources (HR) functions.

Mr. Lamin Samateh made these remarks during a recent presentation of the Public Service Commission (PSC) report, which covered the activities of the Commission from January 2020 to December 2021, before the Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) members of the National Assembly.

The report according to the PSC Chairman Samateh accomplishes the constitutional requirement of the Commission to produce annual reports to be tabled before the lawmakers.

He stated that the oversight responsibility of the Commission anchored largely on its agenda to improve and enhance the existing structures of the civil service.

He assured that the PSC will not relent in its quest for a more effective, modern and innovative civil and public service.

“The Commission will continue to strive towards maintaining highly qualified professional and proactive civil servants that would always ensure active and result-oriented management practices to promote the development of the country,” he affirmed.

He however pointed out that the Commission needs the support and collaboration of all stakeholders to attain this worthy but challenging endeavor.

The Chairman reported that during the period under review, the Commission made 3,840 considerations in 2020 and 3,339 considerations in 2021.

“The considerations include 564 promotions in 2020 and 404 promotions in 2021. There were 1,342 appointments in 2020 and 693 appointments in 2021. There were 9 dismissals in 2020 and 85 dismissals in 2021.”  

He told the lawmakers that PSC provides efficient and cost-effective service for all civil servants and other stakeholders throughout the country through the formulation, management and supervision of the management and implementation of Government policies that pertain to the recruitment, development and discipline of civil servants.

The 2020/2021 activity period he added, marked the end of the PSC Strategic Plan 2017-2021 adding that during these succeeding years, PSC focused on having an impact on standardising its interview and selection processes as well as ensuring high ethical conduct in the civil service.

“It is also noteworthy to recall that following the ushering in of a new democratic dispensation in the country in January 2017, and the subsequent appointment of the five-member team to serve as the Public Service Commissioners by the President of the Republic of The Gambia, the said Commissioners initiated series of reform activities with a view to enhance the efficiency of the civil service”.