Work to improve our image –Mitala tells permanent secretaries

Work to  improve our image –Mitala tells Permanent secretaries

KALANGALA .The Head of Public Service Mr John Mitala has said his department has continued to get bad publicity and endless political criticism yet a lot has been done to deem the image of the institution.

Speaking at the opening of   a three-day-retreat of permanent secretaries at Ssese Islands Beach Hotel in Kalangala District last Thursday, Mr Mitala said government has undertaken a number of
reforms such as adopting ICT, establishment of systems such as Integrated Financial management System, decentralised payroll system, but due to negative public, they are still viewed as a corruption infested institution. 

“In such situation, everyone feels free to offer helpful and sometimes not-so-helpful advice about how to manage the public service. Each is an instant expert without the necessary background knowledge,” he said

The retreat was under the theme: “Creating the urgency for transformative leadership.”
He said the image of Public Service has partly failed to improve because some individuals join it with a sole aim of amassing quick wealth  by whatever means possible. He challenged the permanent secretaries to take up the challenge and work towards changing the institution’s image.

“The attitude of those being recruited into the public service is that there is quick money not knowing that on the whole, public service is not a place where that quick money is made.” He said

All permanent secretaries who included; Keith Muhakanizi (Secretary to
the treasury) James Mugume (Foreign Affairs) Kabagambe Kaliisa (Energy) Steven Kagoda (Internal Affairs) Rose Nassali (Education
Ministry) among others concurred with Mr Mitala ,saying  despite the steps taken by government to address the question of delays in salary payments, nothing has been done to improve many civil servants’ pay to boost their morale at work.

“A lot needs to be done about the pay of public servants if we are to continue attracting and retaining the best,” Mitala said.

He also said that there is need to harmonize  the salaries of civil servants and to remove the big disparities between the salary scales in the different government departments. “There is no justification why a driver in one government department earns much more than  a driver in another government department yet they are all drivers.” Mr Mitala added
He also emphasised the need for regular training opportunities for civil servants to avoid potential knowledge gaps.

Public service is one of the government departments that have in the last two years been shrouded in corruption scandals   after several staff were implicated in embezzling over than Shs300b meant for pensioners .According to Police investigations, the staff had reportedly created a racket which swindled the money using ‘ghosts’ (non-existent) claimants and bank accounts .Implicated staff are still on trial for alleged disappearance of the pension funds .