[UPDATED] Dennis launches THA training centre: Less cuss after audits

Chief Secretary Ancil Dennis has admitted there is no proper system in place within the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) to train young people entering the public service.

He was speaking on Wednesday at the launch of the training and development centre at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex.

The centre, which is to be housed in the complex, seeks to develop the skills of public servants to create greater efficiency within the sector.

“We must ensure in the Tobago House of Assembly, especially with regard to the new people coming into the system...new people coming off the streets, or fresh out of school, whether it be university or secondary school, coming into this new environment, we must ensure they receive the necessary orientation of what the public service is about,” Dennis said.

He added they must also be taught about the importance of the public service and its rules and responsibilities to Tobagonians and the national economy.

“It is important for us to place tremendous emphasis on that.”

Dennis said if young people coming into the system are equipped with the necessary skills, many of the inefficiencies in the public service would no longer exist.

“If we are able to do that and do it effectively then we can solve a lot of the problems that exist today in the Tobago space, in the public service. We can have a situation where politicians like myself will receive less cuss when the auditor general’s report is released.

“If we do this and we do it properly we can have a situation where our public servants would be a lot more confident and a lot more committed to the task of the public service. If we do this and we do it well, we can have a situation where even our administrators will be more confident in their abilities to lead and manage their divisions in the best interest of all Tobagonians.””

In June, an auditor general’s report on Trinidad and Tobago’s public accounts, covering the period October 2019 to September 2020, revealed irregularities in several THA divisions with respect to the disbursement of covid19 relief including food vouchers and hampers.

Dennis subsequently established a three-man committee, headed by Chief Administrator Bernadette Solomon-Koroma, to devise strategies to create a greater synergy between the operations of the THA’s divisions and the Office of the Auditor General.

On Wednesday, Dennis said, “We have what has become a traditional situation with the auditor general’s report where, almost in every report, on every occasion, the shortcomings of the public service and our public servants are highlighted in the form of management letters and audit queries.

“We also hear the numerous complaints from members of the public who encounter public servants on a daily basis and we often hear people complaining about the level of customer service within the public service.”

Dennis said as a politician, he, too, is not satisfied with the rate of delivery.

“I, personally find things take pretty long to get done in the public service, especially coming out of the private sector environment where I worked previously and where things happen quite quickly.

“Therefore, I believe this initiative is an important one because it allows us to develop our human capital in the public and it allows us to expose our public officers to the kind of training and to the kind of personal development that would give them the best opportunity, the best tools to be able to discharge their responsibilities more effectively.”

This story was originally published with the title "‘Dennis: THA employees need training to improve efficiency" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below:

Chief Secretary Ancil Dennis has admitted there is no proper system in place within the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) to train young people entering the public service.

He was speaking on Wednesday at the launch of the training and development centre at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex.

The centre, which is to be housed in the complex, seeks to develop the skills of public servants to create greater efficiency within the sector.

“We must ensure in the Tobago House of Assembly, especially with regard to the new people coming into the system...new people coming off the streets, or fresh out of school, whether it be university or secondary school, coming into this new environment, we must ensure they receive the necessary orientation of what the public service is about,” Dennis said.

He added they must also be taught about the importance of the public service and its rules and responsibilities to Tobagonians and the national economy.

“It is important for us to place tremendous emphasis on that.”

Dennis said if young people coming into the system are equipped with the necessary skills, many of the inefficiencies in the public service would no longer exist.

“If we are able to do that and do it effectively then we can solve a lot of the problems that exist today in the Tobago space, in the public service. We can have a situation where politicians like myself will receive less cuss when the auditor general’s report is released.

“If we do this and we do it properly we can have a situation where our public servants would be a lot more confident and a lot more committed to the task of the public service. If we do this and we do it well, we can have a situation where even our administrators will be more confident in their abilities to lead and manage their divisions in the best interest of all Tobagonians.”