Public servants and political appointees are not the same

Dear Editor,

THE leaders of PNC/APNU have been saying that the new PPP/C administration, since it assumed office after winning the last elections, has dismissed scores of public servants.
The PPP/C pointed out that they have not dismissed public servants, since they do not have authority to do so; that authority is with the Public Service Commission.  Unlike the public servant who serves the country, the political appointee serves his political party.  Accordingly, the PPP/C government did not renew the contracts of political appointees who should in any case have demitted office, and had dismissed politically appointed persons who were either corrupt or were in sinecures. Many PNC/APNU politicians seem to confuse political appointees with public servants, as for instance when there was a change of government, Mr Harmon still felt he was employed by the new President.

It seems that Mr Harmon and Mr Granger would wish to have a non-political public service as in England, where public servants would have no fear that anyone will dismiss them on a change of government.  To achieve this, both government and opposition should meet and agree to adopt the recommendations of the Commission on the Reform of the Public Service which was chaired by Professor Harold Lutchman and presented to the then government in May, 2016.  The recommendations of the commission would result in a professional, neutral, politically impartial and efficient public service.  The salaries of public servants should be higher than the private sector and allow for career service.

Yours sincerely,

Paul Validum Ramlochan