by the NCOP
20 November 2007
Today the National Council of Provinces passed the Public Service Amendment
Bill.
In 1994 a new Public Service Act was passed by Parliament, which aimed to
establish a suitable public service for our new democratic state. In the
succeeding years it has become apparent that, in order to accelerate service
delivery, certain amendments are now required, as we refine and enhance the
capacity of the state to deliver in creased and improved services to our
people, and as we recognise the critical role of the state in building a better
life for our people.
The overarching object of the Bill that was passed today is to improve the
organisational human resource framework, which in turn will improve service
delivery. To this end, the key objectives of the Bill are to:
(a) improve staff mobility arrangements for the public service;
(b) enable greater alignment between the conditions of service of the
general public service falling under the Act and certain sectors
which, although part of the public service, have their own employment
legislation;
(c) introduce government components as a new institutional form within the
public service as well as specialised service delivery units within
departments, to enable direct service delivery through a focussed, ring-fenced
separate entity under the direct control of a Minister or other executive
authority (political head);
(d) enhance compliance with the Act through compulsory discipline of
transgressors and reporting thereon;
(e) address a number of legal difficulties arising from the day-to-day
application of the Act as well as arbitrations and court cases; and
(f) simplify the Act through streamlining several provisions, removing obsolete
provisions and aligning the Act with other legislation in order to facilitate
its administration, which in turn will enhance service delivery.
Opening the debate on behalf of the Minister for the Public Service who is
currently addressing the Orgnanisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) Conference to mark the 10th anniversary of the OECD
Convention Against Corruption, Minister Essop Pahad said:
"The Bill ⦠provides an opportunity for Parliament to strengthen the
democratic values and principles governing public administration in Chapter 10
of our Constitution with respect to national and provincial department. These
values and principles include a high standard of professional ethics;
efficient, economic and effective use of resources; a development-oriented
public administration; the impartial, fair, equitable and unbiased provision of
services and responding to the people's needs.
"(T)his Bill ⦠will contribute to the efficiency and effectiveness of the
organisational and human resource framework for national and provincial
departments, by introducing new service delivery models and enforcement
mechanisms as well as by improving the day-to-day administration of the Public
Service Act. While compliance in itself does not guarantee efficient and
effective service delivery, it is a necessary step in ensuring the improved
performance which all of us seek in public services. Indeed all the measures
proposed in this Bill are designed to enhance governance, accountability and
compliance that I am convinced will lead to better service delivery."
Contact: Lewis Rabkin
Cell: 082 497 3220
Issued by: Ministry for the Public Service and Administration
20 November 2007
