-as the public service expands, modernises, offers competitive pay, Minister Ally says

AN increasing number of professionals are leaving the private sector to join the public service, according to Minister of Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation, Zulfikar Ally, who said the trend is helping government build a more skilled workforce.

Ally made the disclosure while appearing recently on the Energy Perspectives podcast, where he was asked how government intends to attract and retain highly skilled professionals as Guyana’s rapidly expanding economy creates increasingly competitive opportunities in the private sector.

However, Ally rejected the suggestion that government is necessarily struggling to compete with private employers. He pointed to what he described as an “increasingly alarming number” of people leaving the private sector to work in government.

He said the trend is encouraging as government seeks to transform the public service into a modern and highly skilled institution capable of keeping pace with Guyana’s economic development.

Ally said, “I’m very happy about that because we want to build a very skilled public service.”

The minister said the government wants the public service to become an institution that is admired not only in Guyana but across the Caribbean.

According to him, government is seeking workers who are hardworking, dedicated and committed to serving citizens.

He said some people are choosing public-sector employment because they believe government provides them with a greater opportunity to serve the population.

“I’ve met many staff like that whose passion is not about salary… but they want to serve the public,” he said.

He also maintained that government compensation is competitive with the private sector, depending on the level and type of position.

“Within the public service, what we pay are very competitive and comparable to the private sector depending on what levels and what position you look at as well,” he said.

His comments come as government seeks to overhaul the public service to match the demands created by Guyana’s rapid economic growth.

Ally said the volume of work handled by public servants has increased significantly, with some departments now dealing with responsibilities that are several times greater than they were a decade ago.

He pointed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation as one example.

He noted that protocol officers, who previously dealt with a relatively small number of international visitors, are now required to accommodate presidents, former heads of state, ambassadors, diplomats, foreign ministers and executives of major international companies on a much more frequent basis.

Minister Ally stated, “It means, for those staff, they have to be at the airport every single day. So, instead of being there two, three times a month, like they were accustomed to, protocol now is they have to be there every single day, tending to our special guests and invitees that are coming to Guyana.”

The transformation of the economy, he said, means government can no longer rely on the same systems, staffing levels and skill sets that were adequate in the past. The ministry has therefore placed greater emphasis on digitisation, training and modernising the public service.

Ally said the government is also investing in professional development, including providing public servants with access to online training through Coursera.

According to him, public servants can use the platform to improve existing skills or develop new competencies across a wide range of fields.

The government is also relying on education and scholarship programmes to develop the specialised skills needed to support Guyana’s growing economy.

Ally said thousands of Guyanese are pursuing studies through government-funded scholarships, including programmes in fields such as biochemistry and oil and gas.

He said the objective is to ensure that Guyana develops the human resources required to regulate, negotiate, and oversee increasingly sophisticated industries.

At the same time, Ally stressed that the transformation of the public service cannot be separated from changes taking place in the private sector.

He praised local businesses for becoming more sophisticated and said many companies are now placing greater emphasis on diverse boards and specialised professionals, including lawyers, accountants, and engineers.

He cited the Guyana Energy Conference as an example of the private sector’s growing capacity, describing the event as being organised at an international standard.

The minister said he believes the public and private sectors can benefit from a broader change in the culture of service delivery.

He said, “The more you can deliver service and a good quality service and a customer-friendly service, the more your business would do well.”

He added that the government does not view the public and private sectors as being in competition with each other, but rather as entities that can work together to improve services and contribute to national development.

For the public service, Ally said, the ultimate goal is to move away from what he described as an “archaic public service” toward a modern, customer-friendly institution.

He said government investments in technology, training and administrative reform are intended to ensure that public servants can work more efficiently while providing citizens with better services.

For Ally, the movement of skilled workers from the private sector into government is therefore part of a broader transformation aimed at building a public service capable of meeting the demands of a rapidly changing Guyana.