Minister Ally outlines major efficiency reforms for Guyana’s public service

– Govt to modernise public service rules, digitise employee records, launch Public Service Management Portal

Citizens can expect quicker hiring and scholarship approvals as the government works to improve public services by 2026.

The reforms were highlighted by Zulfikar Ally, the Minister of Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation. His ministry was tasked by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali to execute the roll-out of a five-year economic and social development plan for the public sector.

Speaking on a live broadcast on Sunday evening, Minister Ally explained that the changes are part of a broader push to improve efficiency, accountability, and service delivery across the public sector.

“Within the next five years, the Ministry of Public Service, Government Efficiency, and Implementation will aggressively implement the public service reforms,” beginning with “amending and updating the public service rules to bring it in line with internationally best practises, where public servants can rely on rules and regulations that are in keeping with a modernised public sector,” he said.

In addition, employment histories, qualifications, work experience, and career progression records of public servants will be fully digitised.

This, he said, will eliminate the need for thousands of paper transactions. It will also ensure that all employees’ records are available across agencies, allowing for smoother transitions when employees move between departments.

“No more searching through filing cabinets for records, no more looking through dusty files. With the use of your computers, you can pull up any information requested,” the minister said.

A Public Service Management Portal is also slated for launch. It will electronically link government agencies and ensure that requests and correspondence are received, tracked, and actioned promptly.

According to Minister Ally, it is expected to significantly reduce processing times for employment matters, scholarships, and inter-agency requests, shifting timelines from weeks to days or, in some cases, hours.

“Efficiency in employment hiring, scholarship requests, and public servant requests will be the hallmark of the coming five years,” the minister said.

Minister Ally stressed that as Guyana continues to expand, the public service must lead by example in delivering timely, reliable, and professional services to citizens, and the reforms are designed to ensure that government operations keep pace with national development.

The National Insurance Scheme (NIS) will also be fully digitalised in the near future.

Thousands of public servants are being trained to keep up with the digital transformation. Through the Public Service Upskilling Platform, a collaboration between the Guyana Government and US-based Coursera, public servants can unlock 100 online courses for free.