Mandatory training and digital shift to improve public services

Mandatory training for employees in the Public Service will enhance the delivery of services to Guyanese and unlock other benefits, says Zulfikar Ally, Minister of Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation.

Appearing on ‘Beyond the Title‘ on the National Communications Network (NCN), Minister Ally outlines several changes that will be implemented to improve the Pubic Service for the benefit of all Guyanese who access their services.

The minister noted that the government has heard the concerns raised by Guyanese during the recent election campaign.

These include accessing services over lunch hours and being able to track the process of their application online for things like licenses.

“Those are all very realistic expectations from people; …we have to change and we have the capacity to change it,” the minister said.

He noted that President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has given the people of Guyana a commitment to bring government services up to first-world standards.

“Change is never easy, but when it rolls out, everyone is behind it,” he stated.

He noted that the changes will not leave anyone out of a job, but the improvements will be in their best interest.

“The change that we are bringing is one where we will make the system more transparent, we will make everyone more efficient in what they do, and we are going to upskill everyone to ensure that they are in touch with the modern world. AI, for example, all of the new technologies that are there to make our work a lot easier, are implemented,” the minister stated.

We will see a fully integrated public service, allowing employees to access their records through an online portal.

He mentioned that all public servants should have access to training and said that there should be a system to track participation, so no one is left behind.

The minister said the goal is to remove personal bias from promotions and training opportunities by replacing managerial discretion with a transparent, merit-based system where work advancement depends on objective criteria such as work record, training, and punctuality rather than personal preference or favouritism.

Minister Ally said that the implementation arm of the ministry will supervise major projects to ensure that people are doing the work for which they are employed.

“We can’t start projects and just allow them to go with the normal speed of things; you have to ensure that people are doing their work, engineers are doing their work, supervisory consultants are doing their work and working in the interest of the government of Guyana,” Minister Ally stated.  

He said the government’s approach is to shift Guyana to a digital age.

“Whereby every young boy, every young girl, every citizen, at the comfort of their home can enjoy government services, either through their phones or their iPad or their computer, and they must not feel that government services are burdensome,” the minister stated on the NCN show.