“Prime Minister Gaston Browne stated that promotions within the public service must shift from being based on years of service to performance and qualifications, marking a fundamental change in how career advancement will be determined,” Antigua Observer reports.
Browne says that public employees need to know how to use mobile phones and laptops.
“The Prime Minister was very clear that promotion should not be in the service based upon years of service but based on qualifications; job performance in particular,” Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant told reporters.
“The technology mandate extends beyond basic computer skills, with Cabinet requiring permanent secretaries and department heads to attend the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus AI Annual Research Conference on June 23, with the government covering the costs,” according to the Observer.
“Technology is going to be the way forward if you are going to be efficient, starting with simple things like creating groups on your cell phones, being able to manoeuvre on your laptop and respond immediately to request and decisions, in particular of the cabinet, are going to be vital,” said Merchant.
