THE House of Representatives has approved the addition of 1,147 new posts to the public sector, along with the abolition, reclassification and upgrading of another 1,400.

The 2023 civil service establishment general amendment order, brought to Parliament on Wednesday by Minister of Finance and the Public Service Dr Nigel Clarke, provides for the upgrading of 480 posts, the reclassification of 175, and the retitling of 766 up to December 2022. Six posts were regraded, and red-circled.

Dr Clarke noted that an updated order will be brought to the House, to account for changes which occurred post-December. “I am expecting within a few months to bring another one of these that will have the updated salary information for all established positions in the public service,” he advised.

The major changes to be effected include the establishment of 127 new posts across the ministry of education to enhance the human resource management function. “This will increase the capacity to better articulate the policies and programmes which will allow for more work efficiency and overall improvement in human resources management services to teachers, and non-academic staff,” he said.

Approval was also given for the creation of 117 new posts, and the upgrading and retitling of existing posts in the Department of Correctional Services, with an increasing prisoner population across 11 correctional institutions which was also facing staffing challenges.

Dr Clarke said the additional posts, and adjustment of others was necessary to streamline the functions of the rehabilitation division, to improve personal security service, and auxiliary support in probation after-care services, and to strengthen the rehabilitation and probation after-care arrangements.

Staffing was also reviewed for the Financial Investigation Division, with the merger of the revenue protection and public accountability divisions, which became the new revenue protection division, to create 214 new posts. He said the division will work alongside the finance ministry in the maintenance of debt and fiscal sustainability.

“The additional staffing is expected to improve the development and execution of policies associated with public fiscal management, improve the ability to address multiple issues at once, cause a greater alignment of competencies and skills, authorities, management process, that will enable the business process to operate more effectively and provide autonomy and resources to these departments in managing more efficiently,” the finance minister said.

He advised that other major changes have been made through the reassignment of portfolios and significant restructuring in the ministry of legal and constitutional affairs; the ministry of national security; the attorney general’s department; the ministry of health and wellness; and the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

The finance minister stressed that the post-operations committee of the ministry, the offices of the services commission, the Jamaica Civil Service Association continued to meet regularly to review the civil service establishment including considering requests and comments from various ministries, departments and agencies.

— Alphea Sumner