SENIOR public servants must be held accountable to the citizens of Guyana in the way they manage the affairs of government departments and agencies and also in the conduct of their professional lives.

This point was emphasised by Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, during her remarks at a recent roundtable discussion on ethical behaviour within the Public Service.

The roundtable was held under the theme, ‘Promoting integrity and effectiveness in public bodies and authorities responsible for preventing corruption.’

The minister could not have been more candid when she urged those in positions of authority in the Public Service to conduct themselves in the discharge of their duties with integrity and professionalism within the framework of the applicable Public Service rules and regulations.

The roundtable is being held at a time when the government is stepping up on training and capacity-building in the Public Service to ensure higher levels of efficiency in the Public Service.

The importance of an efficient Public Service cannot be overemphasised, especially at this time of accelerated economic growth and development. The efficient delivery of social services is a critical component of the governance process. As the economy grows, the expectations of the Guyanese people of enhanced delivery of social goods and services also grow.

Of no less importance is the question of integrity. According to Minister Teixeira, the government is working on amending the Integrity Commission law to ensure that individuals submit their statutory declarations as required and within the specified timeframe.

The roundtable aims of identifying mechanisms to prevent the abuse of public funds and institutional strengthening are commendable. As pointed out by Minister Teixeira, ‘we have to now reached [sic] a point where as a government, as a Public Service, we are holding ourselves to high standards.’

This is what good governance is all about.

According to President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the government is working to strengthen institutions to put an end to corrupt practices in public offices. In this regard, systems, institutional arrangements, guidelines and procedures to ensure there is accountability are being implemented. ‘I can assure you of working to strengthen our institutional capacity to improve the system of governance, making government more open and transparent, creating avenues for greater public involvement in the governance process and opening up myself to questions the public might have on the work of government.’

These are indeed the hallmarks of good governance for which the PPP/C administration must be commended.