New Public Service Management law to take effect on New Year’s

The Office of Deputy Governor David Archer Jr has announced that the Public Service Management Act, 2024 will officially take effect on January 1, 2025.

This milestone follows extensive preparation, including detailed presentations provided to over 400 public officers.

Deputy Governor Archer delivered a virtual presentation on December 10 to ensure that public officers understand their roles in implementing the Act. He emphasised the importance of familiarising themselves with the new legislation and pledged his office’s ongoing efforts to ensure full compliance.

“This Act takes us further than we have ever been before and creates avenues for us all to actively participate in building a Public Service that efficiently meets the needs of our clients while ensuring a secure, stable, and equitable work environment for public officers,” Archer stated. “We are working to ensure the Public Service fully meets the established standards of the Act.”

Permanent Secretary in the Deputy Governor’s Office, Sharleen DaBreo-Lettsome, echoed this sentiment, describing the legislation as a transformative step for the Virgin Islands Public Service.

“We have a responsibility to ensure public officers at all levels are informed about the provisions of the Public Service Management Act, 2024. This extraordinary meeting of the Public Service was a step forward in that regard. Officers gained valuable insights into this historic legislation and can now be full participants in the transformation it encourages,” DaBreo-Lettsome said.

She added that the Deputy Governor’s Office remains committed to ensuring every public officer has the opportunity to understand the significance of the Act.

The Public Service Management Bill was introduced to the House of Assembly in August by Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley. The Premier highlighted the need for greater accountability in the Public Service, noting structural issues caused by its current governance under the Governor, an unelected position.

“This creates a democratic deficit and limits efficiency and accountability, making it difficult to hold public servants responsible for their performance,” Dr. Wheatley said during the Bill’s introduction.

The Act aims to address these concerns by defining clear roles and responsibilities for ministers and senior public officers, as well as provisions for delegating functions and managing ministerial staff. It also establishes the Virgin Islands Public Service Learning Institute, which will focus on training and development to ensure public officers have the skills necessary to perform their duties effectively.