By Mabinty M. Kamara
The Human Resource Management Office (HRMO) is mapping out plans to improve payment of the end of service benefits for civil servants and to ensure discipline within the service.
Mr. John Sumaila, Secretary to Cabinet and head of the Civil Service, said on Tuesday that the undue delay and difficulties that people face when it’s time to get their pension after diligent and dedicated years of service was due to lack of adequate knowledge.
“Some even die in the process of running after their pensions, leaving it behind, and the human resource personnel are the gate keepers that should ensure that the wellbeing of the employees is taken care of. And we must also be mindful that today it is us that determines the faith of the people, but tomorrow others will decide ours. So it is important that we put things in place for the benefit of us all,” he said.
Mr Sumaila was speaking at the opening of a two-day training [8th to 9th October] for Human Resource personnel and permanent secretaries from government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). The training which is ongoing at the Civil Service Training College at Tower Hill in Freetown also attracted officials from the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) and the office of the Anthony General. Mr Sumaila said these two agencies are very crucial in ensuring that the end of service benefit is adequately delivered.
The training, he said, was designed to enhance the capacity of human resource personnel on timely preparation and processing of applications for the payment of end of service benefits, as well the procedures and processes involved in handling disciplinary matters as established by existing legislations, rules and regulations as they affects civil servants.
According to Mr Sumaila, the training is timely and relevant because as a civil service, they are responsible to cascade government policies and that one of these government policies is to ensure quality service delivery, which is why the civil service needs not be left behind. He went on to say that this is the beginning of many trainings for civil servants. And he admonished participants to take the training seriously.
Mr. Desmond Forde, Director, Staff Welfare, HRMO, who chaired the opening session, said his directorate is responsible for the management of employee relations, set employment practices and terms and conditions of employment. He noted that it is also responsible for maintaining high ethical standards and discipline as well as a dignified exit for retirees in the civil service.
Mr Forde then noted that over the years the directorate had been faced with challenges in exercising these duties, leading to inadequate information for the processing of end of service benefits for retired civil servants. He said the lack of knowledge on the part of HR officials on how to handle some of the issues also warranted this training.
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