BUJUMBURA June 26th (ABP) – Burundi, through the Ministry of Public Service, Labor and Employment, joined forces on Thursday, June 23, 2022, with the other countries of the African Union (AU) in the celebration of the African Public Service Day under the theme “Strengthening the resilience of African public administration to support and facilitate the meeting of the nutritional needs of Africa during and after the Covid-19 pandemic”.
In his speech for the occasion, the Minister of Public Service, Labor and Employment, Dr. Thaddée Ndikumana, indicated that this day comes at the right time because, thank God, Burundi has shown efficiency. in the public administration, of self-sacrifice and dedication of all the personnel of the public administration.
As for Burundi’s development partners, Minister Ndikumana mentioned in particular the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), which has supported Burundi technically and financially. At the level of the Civil Service, the UNDP, as a leader, took the lead in supporting the administrative reform program, he said, while also citing the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the African Union (AU), the World Bank (WB) and the European Union (EU).
The Minister in charge of the Public Service stressed that the administration must remain standing to allow the population to continue to go about their daily business and to have a healthy and sufficient diet. He corroborated the message of the UNDP Resident Representative, Ms. Nicole Kouassi, pointing out that without strong, coherent public administration close to popularization (decentralization), there cannot be sustainable development.
On behalf of the Government of Burundi, Mr. Ndikumana sincerely thanked the development partners, who support the government’s programs to establish a solid administration, close to the population but also which must prepare to be resilient to pandemics that may arise from moment to moment. He also thanked the public service staff who continued to work during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic, especially the nursing staff who were not afraid during this period. He finally expressed his gratitude to the President of the Republic, Mr. Evariste Ndayishimiye, who highlighted the work in synergy, and for his advice that he has not ceased to provide to members of the government.
The head of the AU Liaison Office for the Great Lakes region, Mr. Balasiz Gonzag Patrick, said he recognized the excellent cooperation maintained with Mr. Ndikumana when he was minister in charge of public health. He hoped that this cooperation will continue through the Ministry in charge of the Civil Service with the aim of strengthening exchanges between the AU bodies and the Ministries of the Civil Service of AU Member States. Mr. Gonzag promised that the AU Liaison Office for the Great Lakes region is ready to provide support in the harmonization of various texts relating to the Civil Service.
The UNDP Resident Representative in Burundi, for her part, sincerely thanked the Ministry in charge of the Civil Service for having initiated, since 2013, the reform of the public administration so that it is at the service of the people and capable of carrying the country’s development ambitions. Ms. Nicole specified that the vision of this reform is to have a qualified, efficient, responsible administration oriented towards the services of the citizen.
On this occasion, gifts and prizes were awarded to the nursing staff of the National Institute of Public Health (INSP), to the general management of the Public Service and to the Minister in charge of the Public Service. Minister Ndikumana handed over a portable machine to INSP healthcare staff to continue to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. He also presented a certificate of recognition to the General Directorate of the Civil Service for his hard work so that civil servants receive their salaries on time, thanks to the support of UNDP and the WB.
A certificate of merit was presented to the Minister in charge of Public Service by the AU through the Liaison Office for the Great Lakes Region, for his dedication in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic when he was Minister of Public health and the fight against AIDS, as underlined by Mr. Gonzag. Mr. Ndikumana also received a gift from the ministry entrusted to him.
Note that the ceremonies of the celebration of the African Public Service Day were embellished by the traditional Burundian dance and the exhibition of the drum.