BY DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

MINISTER of State for Public Service Pia Glover-Rolle has revealed the Ministry of Public Service Office will be relocated from downtown Freeport to more suitable and adequate accommodation.

Ms Glover-Rolle - who was in Grand Bahama on Friday – said the office in Freeport is small and was not functioning in the manner of the MOPS office in New Providence.

“When I first came to GB a few months back, I found (the office) was not functioning as a MOPS office, but rather a training centre. And in my estimation, the Public Service office in GB should mirror the Public Service Office in NP,” she said.

“I wanted to ensure as we move forward, we set up an office where public servants can come in and not only speak to matters of training, but speak to human resource relations, labour relations matters, and any queriers they have so they won’t have to be referred to Nassau,” the minister said.

Ms Glover-Rolle stated there has been mismanagement of accommodation status of many offices or departments in GB.

“So, our accommodations manager is here on the ground in GB looking at those matters, seeking to ameliorate issues of leases that may not have been executed properly or leases not able to be determine.”

Ms Glover-Rolle said the Public Service accommodation team has found a place for MOPS office in Freeport. She said the current office is very small, cramped, and no room for growth.

“Because of the dynamics that we are adding to the Public Service function in GB, we found a great spot downtown so we can be a part of the Downtown Rejuvenate Project, and to be a part of the revitalization needed and coming to downtown.

Ms Glover-Rolle said that Labour Relations chief negotiator Bernard Evans was also brought to Freeport to meet with unions in Grand Bahama.

She stated that the meetings were excellent. “We look forward to continue amicable working relationships with trade unions across the board,” she said.

Ms Glover-Rolle also took the opportunity to meet public servants in GB on any issue of concern. She stressed that there are numerous longstanding issues affecting civil servants here.

“I am committed to ensure that we not only look at their matters in the shortest possible time, but also that there is an open-door policy in the ministry of public service in GB and the northern region office, so they would no longer have to be refer to New Providence to have matters looked into, but right here in GB where their matters can be addressed.”

During her meeting with Customs and Immigration officers, the minister said most issues are financial in nature.

She said that they are collaborating with the Technical Team in the Ministry of Finance to resolve those issues.

“They are working diligently to understand how we can look to ameliorate financial matters of all trade union, not just Customs, Ms Glover- Rolle stated.

“We inherited a budget and as we prepare for our Mid-year Budget, which will be our budget, even though we implemented a supplementary budget, it just was not enough to ameliorate all concerns,” she said.

“In Customs and Immigration, we are finding all matters of concern are financial based, and many have not been looked at in the past four years at all, and we have already started by reintroducing increments.”

On the issue of promotions, Ms Glover-Rolle said they are issuing letters every day, but that they also want to ensure that due diligence is conducted.

“I have said before for every payment delayed, every confirmation delayed, these are real people with real lives and real families to take care of. We have taken that into consideration, and we want to make sure we are moving expeditiously and being fair and thorough in all we do,” she said.

She assured that her ministry is dealing with promotions at all the various government agencies, issuing letters of promotions.

“I am happy to get the “thank you” every day; people are so grateful. We are seeking to access promotions in a simultaneous way as there are so many agencies that are due for promotions. The work is being done.”

Ms Glover-Rolle explained that there is a process for promotion. She stated that a civil servant should be recommended for a promotion from the internal HR Unit. She indicated the once an employee receives recommendation on their file, the ministry will have to do its due diligence.

Ms Glover-Rolle said sometimes the files are sent back to the HR unit, and sometimes they may move forward to the Public Service Commission.

“This is the process that has to happen. When people hear promotions are coming in two days, they ask for letters, but it is a process. It is a process of due diligence and to ensure we are being fair, and that everyone who is due a promotion is looked at, and that process must be thorough.

“People are getting letter daily across the service in multiple agencies. We are active and engage in Customs promotion, and others in the pipeline we are looking at every agency across the Public Service,” she said.