Tobago marks Public Service Week with two-day forum

A two-day public service forum held over June 26 and 27 brought the curtains down on Public Service Week 2025 which began on June 21.

Speaking during the launch of the two-day forum held at the Assembly Legislature, chair of the organising committee Ann Marie DeGazon noted this years’ theme, "Excellence in public service delivery for a sustainable future," and said the observance presented an opportunity for reflection, recognition and renewal.

“It is celebrated across the globe to highlight the vital role of public servants in nation building. Right here in Tobago, it offers a valuable opportunity to align our efforts with the broader development agenda of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA).”

DeGazon said the forum was one of the flagship events of the week-long observance by the THA. She added that it was is framed within two timely and interconnected themes – transforming public service culture for a sustainable development and the future of Tobago, and building an effective, accountable and citizen-focused public sector.

“The forum comes at a critical juncture as the THA rolls out its strategic development planning pathway and institutionalises a performance management system aligned with (our) development agenda... We are actively refining what it means to serve the public. "The call to action is clear. If we are to build a more sustainable, responsive and citizen-centred Tobago, our public-service culture must evolve.”

Acting Chief Administrator Karl Murray said public service week recognised the important role of public officers in delivering government services to people within the community.

Murray said it was also a time that the work of public servants was rewarded, and encouraged young people to pursue careers in the public service.

He said Public Service Week also served as a forum to promote innovation in public administration.

He delved more into the theme of the observance: “This highlights the important role and responsibility that the public service here in Tobago is expected to play, ensuring that present and future generations of Tobagonians can and should equally benefit from the wise and efficient use of the island’s resources for sustained optimal quality of life and well-being.

"And we may ask: why the THA? Why the Tobago House of Assembly? And for the very reason that the Tobago House of Assembly is still the key player in delivering public goods and services to the people of Tobago.”

Prior to the forum, divisions of the assembly as well as government agencies engaged in open houses with the aim of promoting transparency, fostering citizen engagement and raising awareness of the careers and service opportunities available within the THA.

During the engagement, visitors were greeted and invited to participate in guided tours across the various departments looking into the division’s operations, allowing participants to engage directly with the public officers.