Public servants must become more business-like and efficient if the public service is to effectively deal with the changes of the modern world, said Minister of Public Administration Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan.
"The new public officer should be e-savvy. You are business savvy and most important is that you must understand value for money. You are receptive to change and you will continue learning. You are innovative. You are the 21st century public officer ready to carry on the public service. The general public wants a public officer who is honest with them, who is fair, who is transparent," she said.
Seepersad-Bachan spoke at the launch of a four-day Community of Practice forum for Ministries and Agencies participating in the T&T Diamond Standard branded Interact at the Yara Auditorium, Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business, Mt Hope.
She also said in an era of declining revenue for the national treasury, the public service can make a bigger contribution once it becomes more efficient.
"You learned value for money, in times of declining revenues, once you continue along this way T&T's public service is well poised to be able to deliver the kind of revenue and be more efficient and potent and have value for money," she said.
She added that the current inefficiency of the public service affects T&T's ranking on the ease of doing businesses ranking internationally.
"We have taken on the challenge that we will improve our ranking," she said.
Jennifer Daniel, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Administration, who also spoke, said there was a lot of disillusionment in the public service because of low productivity levels but she encouraged public servants to work hard to motivate those who want to turn it around.
"Sometimes I am disheartened that the public service will be left behind, the trajectory over the last couple of decades is that the public service has been on a downward spiral but it encourages me that there are people in the public service who want to make a difference. There are people who have become disillusioned but I encourage you to seek them out and inspire them for that passion in the public service," she said.