PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA AT THE SWEARING-IN CEREMONY OF THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM, POLICY COORDINATION AND DELIVERY AND THE PERMANENT SECRETARIES OF HEALTH, FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND Your Excellency, the Vice President, I congratulate the new Minister and Permanent Secretaries on the ir appointments, and I t hank them for accepting to serve the nation in their various These are four very senior and critical pos itions that can make a huge difference in the Government’s performance and the development of the country. I am confident that the appointees are aware of this and are ready to do their utmost in the service of the Taking the oaths of office, secrecy and allegiance is an essential administrative requirement to bind public servants to the principles, regulations, duties and tasks linked to their statuses and the expectations of the people at large. It is a procedure that also accords persons appointed to specified positions to publicly declare their willingness, readiness, and commitment to take up public office in accordance with the trust, expectations and confidence that go with it. Honourable Bouy, a s Minister of Public Service, Administrative Reform, Policy Coordination and Delivery, you have a big task ahead of you. Your Ministry, which is a new creation, could be described as the nerve centre of the Government machinery. The performance of all the various institutions and the work force, in general, largely Government cannot make meaningfu l progress without a fully functional , effective, and efficient public service, nor can the public institutions perform in the absence of proper policies and plans to guide appropriate programme delivery. The reforms initiated by my government are still in progress and need to be pursued vigorously for the attainment of the desired results. People argue that t he 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 Importantly, our institutions cannot strive for excellence if we do not have a continuous staff performance appraisal system in line with the new These are linked with the new Ministry’s mandate of policy coordination and delivery, which are key in the administration of the Civil Service. Certainly, there cannot be efficient service or programme delivery without proper policy coordination and Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, Also significantly central in the development process are the Health, Foreign Affairs and Fisheries sectors, for which we have these three Permanent Secretaries. Their performance will have far-reaching implications for the people, the economy and our national image, standing and relations with the world. Lady and Gentlemen, e ntrusting you with the big responsibility of the administration and guiding the policy direction of these four Ministries is for you to deliver on your respective sector mandates. 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. All these require teamwork, effective supervision and monitoring to ensure timely programme implementation. I encourage you, the Permanent Secretaries, to take your responsibilities with utmost seriousness, bearing in mind that you are the technical heads of your Ministries. You have the responsibility of ensuring that your sector personnel do what is expected of them and attain a high level of performance. Thus, you must set Your work directly impacts the health and well-being of the population; therefore, we expect you to diligently execute your duties. This is a new government, and we are committed to changing the unproductive ways of doing business. To achieve this, we must break with the past and change the unhealthy sub-cultures in our institutions, particularly of indifference, foot-dragging, under - Wise time management and focusing on the day’s workload or assignments need to be adopted and maintained without compromise . Cultivate the culture of diligence, accountability, and transparency. Resources are scarce; therefore, they should be used wisely to avoid waste. Government or public assets are often not given due attention. Establish the culture of respect for public office, public structures and public resources. Where there is need for advice or support, provide it with sincerity. I advise you to e stablish links across your sectors, share experiences and learn from one another. Set up inter-sectorial structures to hold consultations and There is reward in collaboration and cooperation, especially among those who share a common agenda This is our homeland , so remember that we have nowhere else to proudly call home other than our dear On behalf of the citizens of the country, I congratulate you on ce more and wish you success in your new