THE Public Service will resume official duties with strict safety protocols on Monday 24 January 2022.
The Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Public Service announced the resumption in a circular today (23 January) to Permanent Secretaries and equivalent, Provincial Secretaries, Chief Executive Officers, Heads of Department and Human Resource Managers.
As we enhance health and safety measures against Covid19, reopening of Public Service businesses in Honiara on the said date recognizes the significance of keeping our local economy afloat by ensuring productivity is maintained and that basic and essential services to our people are continuously running. Public servants are therefore requested to resume duties with strict health and safety conditions.
To lessen the risk of exposure by public service employees to the Covid19 virus, respective Ministries/Agencies management are instructed to approach business operations as follows:
(a) Provide ministry-operated transportations for officers traveling to and from workplace particularly to officers/employees who do not have a vehicle;
(b)An officer or employee who may exposed to the Virus must not resume duty instead seek appropriate medical assistance;
(c)Reactivate work-from-home arrangement to officers who may unable to attend to duty office/place due to high risks by providing work-enabling ICT devices;
(d)Ensure officers and employees are equipped with personal protective gears appropriate for use in their respective duty places;
(e)Officers and employees wear face-masks, use hand sanitizers, and maintain social distancing while discharging duties at respective workplaces;
(f)Where appropriate organize inter-ministry meetings virtually on-line as per the SIG-Virtual Meeting Policy;
(g)Limiting number of clients and customers entering SIG-Ministry/Agency premises at a given time.
Furthermore, to lessen the risk from contracting the virus from the general public, respective ministries/agencies management must ensure that customers and clients seeking SIG-Public Services must:
(a)Comply with all Covid19 health and safety protocols;
(b)Wear face-mask at all times when entering SIG-Ministry/Agency premises;
(c)Show proof of completed Covid19 vaccinations at the respective Ministry/agency security gates;
(d)Ensure that customers or clients that do not meet health and safety requirements above be disallowed entry;
(e)Ensure hands sanitized at security gate entry point.
Permanent Secretary Nego Sisiolo thank public officers for their cooperation and support to fight Covid19 and at the same time continue discharging needed services to the Government and its People.
-GCU Press
