By Lamin B Darboe
Information Officer, MoPS
Secretary General and Head of the Civil Service urged Permanent Secretaries (PSs) who are technocrats within their various ministries to harness the power of synergy and maximise their potential to drive positive change in the country.
Mrs Salimatou E Touray was speaking on Monday during the official opening of the 2nd Quarter Permanent Secretaries’ Retreat at Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Centre, Bijilo.
She challenged the PSs to use their time to engage in fruitful discussions, share their insights and collaborate across ministries, Ddepartments and agencies.
“In our quest for increase accountability, transparency and improved performance in the public sector, she said “government deemed it necessary to collaborate with the World Bank Group to launch the Gambia Public Administration Modernisation Project (PAMP) for Citizen-Centric Service Delivery”.
She explained that PAMP project seeks to strengthen the capacities of public institutions to provide the overall strategy and plan to contribute towards achieving the objectives of the NDP.
“The Project component on Open Government will develop and implement an Open Government Partnership National Action Plan that will allow the government to effectively prioritise and implement its transparency and citizen engagement reform agenda,” she explained.
She urged PSs to be alive to the enormous responsibility that comes with leadership, adding that she is confident that despite the many and varied challenges, her office and Ministry of Public Service are determined and committed to collaborate more to improve service delivery and the well-being of the citizenry.
SG Touray informed PSs that Public Service Minister, Baboucar Bouy already presented the recommendations from the 1st quarter PS retreat to the Cabinet, adding that six issues were considered and approved.
“As we delve into the agenda of this retreat, let us also remember importance of self-care and well-being. Our roles can be demanding and caring for each other and ourselves is essential. A healthy, motivated team is better equipped to tackle challenges and seize opportunities,” SG Touray stated.
She praisedthem for their hard-work, dedication, and commitment to collective goals, and urged them to approach upcoming quarters with determination, innovation and a deep sense of purpose.
