Williams urges civil servants to stand firm

Minister with responsibility for the Public Service and Information, Senator Arthur Williams, is encouraging civil servants to continue being the driving force for national development.

In his message marking the official launch of Civil Service Week 2011 on Monday, Williams said civil servants have stood firm in their commitment to high quality services, despite their own personal and professional challenges.

"We value the tremendous work that you do for the country and the people every day of the year. Through good and bad times, you are always faced with the tough challenges to meet the increased needs of the populace by delivering quality services with less resource. I am proud to say that we have made great strides together and gained a great deal of momentum; however, we have a long way to go," he said.

The week is being held under the theme, 'Civil Servants - Repositioning for National Development'.

Highlighting the importance of the theme, Senator Williams said it signals a strong commitment to help advance the efforts and energy required to make Jamaica the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business.

"People are quick to blame you for poor service delivery, some accuse you of outright corruption, while others deem you to be lazy. It is my belief, however, that the majority doing good works get overshadowed by the very few who forget the promise they made to be honest, fair and transparent," he said.