Speech by the Honourable Maxwell Charles

Minister of National Reconciliation, the Public Service, Labour, Information and Ecclesiastical Affairs – for Public Service Day

June 23, 2015.

Ladies and Gentlemen, fellow Public Servants, Vincentians, all, Good morning.

The United Nations (UN) has designated June 23, every year as World Public Service Day; a day on which public servants worldwide are recognized and appreciated for their tremendous work and contribution to national development and nation building.

So, today, the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines proudly joins with the rest of the International Community in celebrating this day in keeping with the UN’s theme “Innovating Public Service Delivery to implement the post 2015 Development Agenda.”{{more}}

As the Minister with responsibility for the Public Service, I am honoured on this occasion to speak with my fellow public servants on World Public Service Day, June 23, 2015.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have been the cornerstone of the global development agenda since their adoption in 2000. To this end, the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines has aligned many of its national priorities with these global targets.

As a consequence, St Vincent and the Grenadines has made significant strides in the realization of many of these goals, and I am confident, that as a nation, a Government and a people, we will continue to move closer to fuller realization of all of these goals.

However, it would be remiss of me if I did not at least highlight a few of the Government’s achievements as it relates to the MDGs.

St Vincent and the Grenadines has successfully met the poverty reduction target set by the United Nations (UN) – Goal 1 – Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. The country has been recognized by both the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the World Food Summit for reaching UN’s MDG target 1. C: “Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger,” and halving the number of undernourished persons, respectively.

It should be noted that a total of 79 countries were identified as having met MDG Goal 1, but only 29 of those countries, including St Vincent and the Grenadines had reduced both the extent of the poverty and the extent of undernourishment. Indigence has been reduced from 27.5 per cent in 1995 to 2.9 per cent in 2008.

This is a remarkable achievement for a country with a population of just about 110,000 people, a land mass of 150 square miles and many challenges. The Government and the public servants likewise must be commended for doing an excellent job and so I take the opportunity to acknowledge the hard working public servants for their commitment to their task and delivering on the Government’s policies.

The goal of achieving universal primary education has not only been attained, it has been surpassed. Universal access to education at the secondary level has also been attained. It is envisaged that by the year 2020, there should be at least one university graduate per household.

With the deadline for achieving these MDGs fast approaching, the major global question that confronts us all is, “What’s next?”

The Government, in anticipation of this reality, has developed a National Economic and Social Development Plan 2013-2025, which envisages the continued development and strengthening of national institutions and the improvement of technical and administrative capacity to deal with the threats, in order to capitalize on the opportunities presented. This Development Plan has become the framework for our core development and has five broad strategic goals and objectives –

1. Re-engineering Economic Growth

2. Enabling increased human and social development

3. Promoting good governance and increasing the effectiveness of Public Administration

4. Improving physical infrastructure, preserving the environment and building the resistance to climate change

5. Building national pride, identity and culture

It is projected that there would be reduced poverty, increased employment, strong growth and an improved standard of living for all Vincentians with the successful implementation of these strategic goals and objectives.

Although we can applaud our achievements and accomplishments thus far, we must recognize that there are many obvious challenges, particularly as the global financial and economic crises continue to constrain our economy. These constraints have made it necessary for public services to be delivered in a more efficacious manner.

It is therefore imperative that our public service and the public servants be more creative and innovative in the delivery of services.

We live in a world that has changed and is constantly changing. The way we communicated 20 years ago is far different today and we acknowledge and recognise that our Public Service must also adapt to keep up with the changing society and the changing world. Hence, the Public Service is therefore under increasing pressure to meet the growing demands and expectations of the Vincentian citizenry at home and in the diaspora.

Our Public Sector and Public Service have undergone and is undergoing levels of transformation and modernization that has never been seen nor experienced before in this country. This process of public sector modernization and transformation has been driven largely by the extensive use of modern Information and Communication Technology (ICT), increased human capacity, sound public administration and good governance, which is responsible for the improvements in the quality of delivery of its services.

My Government continues to invest in training, institutional strengthening and capacity building, therefore ensuring that we have a competent Public Service and professionally trained and qualified public servants to do the job, because without their contribution, commitment and dedication the delivery of high quality public services would not be possible and our jobs would be more challenging.

As Minister of the Public Service, I want firstly to say a profound thank you to the thousands of dedicated and hardworking public servants of this blessed land and secondly, on behalf of the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines, to say thanks for an excellent job.

So, please join me in saluting our public servants, as we commemorate this day and celebrate Public Service Week 2015 under the slogan “Public Servants are appreciated.” Indeed, you are appreciated. Let us appreciate and be appreciated. Continue to serve this nation well.

In the words of Jack Lew “I think there’s no higher calling in terms of career than public service, which is a chance to make a difference in people’s lives and improve their world.”

God bless us all.

I thank you.