Author: Wol Mapal | Published: 3 hours ago
New Minister of Public Service and Human Resource Development Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth – courtesy photo
The newly appointed Minister of Public Service and Human Resource Development, Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, has pledged to prioritise capacity building for civil servants as his main leadership agenda.
Speaking during his swearing-in ceremony in Juba on Wednesday, Gatkuoth said improving service delivery and strengthening the country’s labour market would be central to his work.
He described his ministry as instrumental to the functioning of government, noting that a skilled and professional public service is essential for effective governance.
He said investing in training and development of civil servants would not only improve their performance while in service, but also prepare them to remain productive after leaving government employment.
Gatkuoth emphasised that public service is not permanent, pointing out that government employees eventually retire and must be equipped with relevant skills to compete in the wider labour market.
He said his ministry would focus on building institutional capacity to ensure civil servants can deliver quality services to the public.
“Sincerely, this Ministry of Public Service and Human Resource Development is very important to this country. It is instrumental because all of us, at one point in our lives, will retire and receive our pension from there.
“For me, I will prioritize capacity building so that people have the skills to deliver services. If we can deliver services to the public and build capacity so that our people are competitive in the market, we will be doing a great service to our citizens,” he said.
The new minister also said professionalism, accountability, and continuous learning within the civil service are key to driving reforms in human resource development and modernising public institutions.
Gatkuoth was sworn in alongside other newly appointed officials who were appointed on Monday.
Flood dyke construction underway around Bentiu
