State House, Banjul, 27th October 2022: President Adama Barrow said the performance of all the various institutions depends largely on the new ministry of Public Service, Administrative Reform, Policy Coordination, and Delivery.

President Barrow has urged the newly appointed Minister, Honourable Baboucarr Bouy, to vigorously pursue the civil service reform initiative to build an effective and efficient public service.

He was speaking today at the statehouse during the Minister's swearing-in ceremony, alongside the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Lang Yabou, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Jainaba M.L Kah and the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Fisheries, Mr. Omar S.M Gibba.

The President tasked the new Minister to ensure that the public service reverts to the reputation it was known for when it comes to effective service delivery, saying, ‘‘the country needs to regain the glory that the public service was known for decades ago; that is, one marked by professionalism and commitment to serving the country through its invaluable human resource’’.

Additionally, President Barrow said it is imperative to ensure that appraisal for civil servants is by performance and service delivery, noting, ‘‘our institutions cannot strive for excellence if we do not have a continuous staff performance appraisal system in line with the new public service mandate’’.  

The President also reminded the newly sworn-in public service personnel that they are entrusted with the responsibility of administering and guiding the policy direction of their respective institutions while urging them to deliver on their mandates, noting ‘‘You have the task of leading the development and implementation of your institutional policies and programmes, in addition to managing the resources in your custody. This is a new government, and we are committed to changing unproductive ways of doing business’’.

In his vote of thanks on behalf of the sworn-in Permanent Secretaries, Hon Baboucarr Bouy commended the President for the trust bestowed on them to carry out these important mandates while affirming their commitment to what he described as an honour to serve the country. He urged his colleagues to encourage a culture of open dialogue and cooperation within public institutions to work together ‘‘for a better and more prosperous Gambia’’.