KIGALI - The Minister of Public Service and Labour has said that the new directive to have all civil servants sworn-in will improve service delivery and increase productivity within public institutions.

The new directive issued by the ministry was based on a 2002 law on the general statutes for Rwanda public service. Article 29 of the law requires all public employees to take an oath before assuming office.

The new instruction targets all public workers including local leaders and other employees in the civil service.
Speaking to The New Times yesterday, Murekezi said the directive will enforce rules and regulations in regard to public works and shall help the government to supervise all its workers.

"It will increase workers’ commitment, speed up realisations of their objectives and improve service delivery in the public service as they will always bear in mind what they pledged”, minister Murekezi said.

"This exercise will also help the central government evaluate public workers and then take appropriate measures against those who do not fulfil their obligations”.

Members of the public who spoke to this paper commended the initiative noting that it was a good step in stimulating workers’ accountability, by pushing local leaders to be answerable to the population.

"Some local leaders used to deny us services or sometimes delay to deliver them. Swearing-in is an essential step to make them accountable and give local people authority to ask them [leaders] if what they are doing for the community is in line with their oath”, said Emmanuel Habanabakize, a resident of Kimisagara sector.

As part of the execution of the new directive, local leaders around the country were sworn in on Tuesday, with many of them vowing to double efforts in promoting better service delivery.

Ends