The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

TRANSPORT and Local Government Minister Renward Wells has confirmed that plans to “right-size” his ministry are being looked at, with the action set to target a “poorly staffed” executive management layer.

Speaking to reporters outside of Cabinet yesterday, Mr Wells said his ministry was seeking to, among other things, ensure that it has sufficient essential staff throughout its offices.

The Bamboo Town MP said the phenomenon was shared by many government run agencies and departments, adding his ministry currently operates with a middle layer of senior managers who often only oversee large complements of staff “at the lower end spectrum,” namely clerks and receptionists.

Mr Wells said: “When we are talking about right-sizing we are talking about putting in the requisite staff amount, a complement throughout, whether it is at the executive level, the middle manager level and then the support staff for that executive and middle manager level.”

When asked directly if the exercise would be carried out through promotions and terminations, Mr Wells said it was his intention to have the process carried out through an analysis of current work force of the Ministry of Transport and Local Government, and the general public service.

Of promotions, he said: “That is going to be a part of it. For some folk, you would have seen the Prime Minister started some of that, in that a number of persons would have been promoted last week or the week before and the taking of the requisite offices this week.”

He furthered added on the point: “So we are seeking to ensure that that is a part of the overall programme of government, that we get these requisite departments, that we get them adequately staffed with the persons who are necessary to do the work we are requiring because we have a very aggressive agenda we would like to see in true form on behalf of the Bahamian people.”

On the potential for terminations and the issuance of voluntary separation packages, Mr Wells stated: “Not in the main; that is not going to be the large portion or the lion’s share of what is taking place.”

He continued: “Really, we are looking throughout the government service to look for individuals who have the requisite skill sets in the middle management area and the senior management, to be able to bring them into the departments within the Ministry of Transport and Local Government so that we have a properly functioning department from top to bottom, again, so that we can get the kind of efficiencies and results that we believe are necessary for the Bahamian people.”

Beyond the departments of Transport and Local Government, the Ministry of Transport and Local Government also currently oversees Road Traffic and Port departments, the Post Office and the Maritime Authority.