Basseterre, St. Kitts, August 26, 2020 (SKNIS): Public sector reform in St. Kitts and Nevis is getting a shot in the arm with the appointment of Ambassador His Excellency Vance Amory to head the review initiative.
Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris announced the appointment of Ambassador Amory on the August 25 edition of the Leadership Matters Virtual Forum Series.
“The introduction of an incentive-based compensation or pay for performance plan is critical to meeting the nation’s mission and objectives,” Dr. Harris stated, highlighting the need for an effective and efficient civil service.
Public sector wages and salaries cost the government some $225 million per year. The prime minister noted that the period January to June 2020 has seen the government spend more than $113 million on payroll.
“We have to ensure that those who are in receipt of wages and salaries are giving us value for money. We have to cut out waste, unnecessary overtime, the abuse of government vehicles and hold persons accountable for damage to government’s property,” said the prime minister. “The incentive-based compensation should serve as a powerful tool that motivates our most highly valued employees to enhance their work effort.”
It is expected that enhanced efficiencies will lead to increased food production, technological innovation, and improvements in the global ease of doing business ranking for the federation. The changes may also serve as inspiration for persons within the diaspora to return to provide expertise to their homeland.
Ambassador Amory has decades of experience in the public sector at various levels. He served as the Premier of Nevis from 1992 to 2006, and again from 2013 to 2017. He also served as a Senior Minister in the Federal Government of St. Kitts and Nevis from 2015 to 2020.
Prime Minister Harris stated that Ambassador Amory would be assisted in this important national effort to reform the public service by Ambassador His Excellency Everson Hull.
