Office of the Prime Minister

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Daryl Vaz, Minister of State with responsibility for Project Implementation and Service Delivery in the Office of the Prime Minister, addresses the launch of the 2008/09 Public Sector Customer Service Competition, today (July 3), at Jamaica House.

The 2008/09 Public Sector Customer Service Competition was officially launched today (July 3), at a ceremony held at Jamaica House.

Minister of State with responsibility for Project Implementation and Service Delivery in the Office of the Prime Minister, Daryl Vaz, explained that the competition would allow the hard working and dedicated staff of the public sector to be rated by persons they serve on a daily basis.

"The competition and activities associated with good customer service such as the Citizens' Charter Programme is testimony to the Government's commitment to realising the vision of a customer oriented public sector, where the needs of the customer are given priority," Mr. Vaz said.

"From time to time, many public sector workers would have received commendation from individuals for the professional manner in which they perform their duties and the respect they show to the public. This competition allows for the validation of those comments by the deliberate canvassing of views and opinions of the wider cross section of society," he added.

Mr. Vaz pointed out that the quality of service offered in the public sector must be consistent throughout every ministry and agency of Government. He also noted that public sector workers should strive to deliver the highest quality of service possible, as the customer "demands no less in this world."

The State Minister said it was well known that many areas of the public sector are still in need of a lot of improvement in relation to quality service delivery.

"As Minister responsible for customer service, I yearn for the day and the sooner the better, when the first words uttered by public servants including Ministers, will inform them how, when and where to obtain quality service in good record time," Mr. Vaz said.

Meanwhile, the State Minister pointed out that so far, 108 agencies have developed Citizens' Charters for their organisations, several of which have had those charters revised to ensure that they remain relevant to the changing needs of the society.

"I urge other public sector entities to come on board as the Cabinet office stands ready to provide the necessary guidance," Mr. Vaz said.

The competition seeks to have a culture of service embedded within the public sector, as each employee is encouraged to commit to providing quality service. "It also aims to recognise and reward workers in organisations that are committed to the process, especially if we want to encourage further and continuous improvement in service delivery," Mr. Vaz explained.

Each public sector agency is eligible to participate in all categories of the competition, but only those with a Citizens' Charter are eligible for the Best Customer Service Agency Award. Winners will be announced in March 2009.

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