“Serving the state and the people as public officers is not always easy, particularly in certain tasks faced by officials in the upper ranks of the hierarchy. We must keep in mind that the Public Service is a perennial institution – eternal, it is there forever!”
“The reason being that the Public Service provides continuity of leadership from one administration to another”.
President of Malta Myriam Spiteri Debono added that Public Service officers must be firm, impartial, in no way partisan, and with the courage to stop if they believe that the chosen or proposed paths are not in the interest of the national good, for the benefit of our people and our country.
She praised the Public Service’s efforts to intensify accessibility and information to the public that should be provided with the services they need and to which they are rightfully entitled. She appreciated the service’s efforts to provide online information and services; however, in this regard, she said that we must not forget those who either do not know how, or do not feel comfortable using these means of communication, and therefore prefer in-person services.
The Public Service is the backbone of democratic leadership, one of the guardians of good governance. That is why public officers must be honest, principled, and above all loyal to the country and to the people. As a matter of fact, the importance of the Public Service stems from Chapter X of the Constitution of Malta, which is dedicated to the Public Service.
Therefore, for Public Service officers to accomplish and fulfil their obligations towards the state and the people in the performance of their duties, they must be guided by good judgement and caution.
Photo: OPR
