The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams received an update from Tammy Richardson, Program Manager Integrity at the department of the Interior and Kingdom Relations on Wednesday. The Integrity Training Program featured a series of Workshops centered on the training of Civil Servants on the various aspects of integrity in the Civil Service.
During her opening address at the opening of the Integrity Training Workshop the Prime Minister explained that the objective of the Integrity Code of Conduct is to give civil servants a grip on decision making processes and establishing standards and values with regards to conduct within Government.
The Prime Minister has always actively supported the planning process and the implementation of an integrity program for Government and explained that integrity training for the Government of St. Maarten has been on the books for quite some time; "an important agreement was reached in March last year for the financing of an integrity program for the Government of St. Maarten and finally a visions document for the government of St. Maarten was arrived at last year in November. It is the aspiration of the Government of St. Maarten that within the next five years there will be a higher level of commitment to the level of integrity for the entire public service in operating in accordance with the Integrity Policy of St. Maarten and observing the principles of Good Governance," commented the Prime Minister.
"And in doing so to support the development of an honest, well trained, impartial, structured and reputable public service rooted in the principles of integrity; a public service capable of professionally serving and meeting the constitutional needs of the citizens of St. Maarten," continued the Prime Minister
The Prime Minister also outlined that integrity and subsequently integrity training is extended to all levels of Government; "Having integrity is required from the highest level in Government to those at the lowest level in terms of coming together and working on the Integrity Program for St. Maarten. At the end of the day it is how we view the topic and how we decide to move forward as a Government and as a people. It is about how we wish to deal with integrity and the many complex factors civil servants may encounter during the course of their jobs. It is about how those in the Civil Service deals with the integrity within the Government of St. Maarten," concluded the PM.