Public Service Moves Toward Full Digitization of Allowances and Leave Systems

Another project currently underway for the public service is the digitization of the system that would make processing of allowances, vacation days and other elements more efficient.  Minister Usher says the modernization of the way things are done is crucial at this juncture.

Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service: “It’s something that I have spoken about for a number of years, looking at better ways we can compensate public officers, but also to make the system more efficient, to digitize the system, to modernize the delivery of service throughout the public service. And we’re seeing that being done, being rolled out through e-governance, through other ministries, project by project, looking at the Vital Statistics Unit, looking at the Lands Department, looking at different areas where we can digitize but from our end, from the tax department, but from our end from the public service, and it’s looking at being able to digitize services being provided to public officers. We’re still in an era now where we have to, when we are applying for leave, public officers have to fill out a form and apply for leave. When they’re about to retire they have to make sure they’re sending their file a year before and all of that because it’s everything is paper based. But now if we digitize it, if we’re able to say okay we can apply for it online, everything we can go in and do a checklist of what all needs to be in that personnel file, then we know that when the time comes when you are 55 and you’re leaving that you can get your retirement benefit as soon as possible. So I think that that is the goal. That is the main project.”

Usher has been serving as the Minister of the Public Service since 2020.