Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (Ministry of VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake on Monday at the University of St. Martin (USM) spoke to Ministry VROMI staff about integrity and his vision for the organization with the emphasis on customer service.
Each Minister as part of the integrity program of the Government of Sint Maarten had to present their vision and future goals of their ministry on the subject of integrity to their personnel.
The Minister also introduced two persons of trust within the ministry to the staff.
Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI)
Monday, February 24, 2014
Opening Speech
Good afternoon,
(Secretary General of the Ministry VROMI Mr. Louis Brown, Ms. Diana Pearl Hendrickson Fleming, Ministry Management & staff, ladies and gentlemen),
A famous French thinker and essayist Michel de Montaigne, 400-years ago said: "There is no man so good that if he placed all his actions and thought under the scrutiny of the laws, he would not deserve hanging ten times in his life."
We are all human beings. Human nature is variable, and capable of making mistakes. From time to time individuals step across the line.
It is the responsibility of government, and all institutions of government in the structures that we have and the processes we use for carrying out service to the public, when we take into consideration that it human to err.
The men and women who work in the civil service organization are in actuality the overseers of the public good. Politicians come and go, but it is a key responsibility that integrity measures are put into place to deal with unethical behaviour.
Government has taken unprecedented steps towards establishing a best-practice integrity system.
Government is committed to achieving the highest standard in government integrity by establishing the processes and procedures that would disclose any form of abuse of authority.
It is my objective to ensure every Sint Maartener that they can have faith in the public sector and its elected officials.
In my back to basics approach, openness and accountability, underpins public trust in our democratic system of government.
I have always preached to my staff, that procedures will be followed accordingly to the laws of the land. And I have preached this outward to the community as well. I am sure Mr. Brown will share my vision with the Ministry.Our country has integrity issues yes, but our country is not the only one, and it won’t be the last one. It’s all about how you deal with them.
I am proud to say that Government has put checks and balances into place. The recent appointment of "persons of trust" within each ministry is a start and part of the process based on the integrity vision for 2012 through 2016.
Integrity is the cornerstone of good governance.
Preventing corruption in the public sector is a responsibility of us all. When a case of corruption is identified in one ministry, it reflects negatively upon all of us.
However, we can all be proud that a very small minority is capable of making mistakes, while more than the majority work and live according to the rule of law and love for country, and realize how essential it is to maintain trust in government.
Achieving a culture of integrity requires efforts on the part of each one of you.
Government has to update standards and provide guidance and enforce best practices in daily practice. Where improvements and adjustments are needed, we all work along together to achieve this.
In going back to basics, the core responsibilities of our ministry are public housing, spatial planning, environment and infrastructure.
These responsibilities all have to do with the quality of life of our people. Ministry VROMI is like the key ingredient or building block to improve the quality of life of our country.
First, an assessment has to be done of the environment where you would like to build. Once this is done spatial planning comes into play and the plans are submitted in order to request the necessary permits to build.
Whether its public housing, or building a hotel or other type of business, proper planning needs to be done in order to be able to put in the necessary infrastructure.
The embracing of integrity should be looked at from the perspective of building the House of Sint Maarten. We are heading in a new direction.
As I pointed out before, maintaining trust in government is the foundation for growth. At that foundation is the civil service of country Sint Maarten, it’s you and you and you, it’s all of you and your colleagues throughout the six other ministries of government.
Sint Maarten’s success is based on trust. The nation must have trust that Government will remain a steward for the public good. The civil service corps has to continue to uphold the highest standards of integrity.
In moving Ministry VROMI forward together and upward, as one integrated whole ministry that is fully committed to improving the lives of Sint Maarteners we have to be able to adapt our policies to keep up with changing aspirations and needs.
My vision is for our ministry to present a seamless coherent experience to the people who visit our offices for various types of services. Our processes and procedures should be transparent, because over time, the public will lose trust in the service if they cannot understand the aforementioned.
Our ministry has to look at being customer-oriented. Where are we in connection with this? While dealing with the daily challenges that are experienced by staff, at the same time you must continue to uphold our national interests and the wider common good.
Policies are essential. It means a policy for one is a policy for all. Here we don’t alienate anybody. Policy has to do with implementation, and once this is worked out, then it’s done through service delivery.
To the person seeking advice, information or facing a problem, deal with the request expeditiously.
Once policies are in place, and the step by step process has been worked out for each service, this is then executed or implemented through service delivery to our clients or customers. We have come a long way together. Mr. Brown Jr. along with his management team and staff have done a fantastic job meeting the needs of the Ministry to better service the community.
Citizens will form their impressions of the Government from their experience. So as a Ministry we must always provide high quality service.
And of course, in order for staff to provide high quality service, you must have the tools and the processes and procedures must be worked out in order for this to take place. Much time and effort has gone into this and together we will continue to enhance this process of governance.
Improving policies and service quality to the public will enhance trust in the civil service organization and Government. This is back to basics, a people centered development for our country where the public service organization acts as one with the people at the centre of national development.
Critical to maintaining public trust is upholding the highest standards of integrity.
Integrity ultimately is not about systems and processes, but about values and morals.
Values and morals come from society, within our communities.
No Government should have to introduce legislation to police integrity. This comes from our own un-bringing from our families. These principles must be passed on to others within our organization – the right values, service, integrity, excellence.
Trust is essential for the Government to function.
I think every civil servant within the Ministry should stand tall and be proud of what you do every day. We are all committed to serve country above self.
We are doing the right things, but we must continue to demand that we do better, so nobody can point any fingers.
How the community perceives country Sint Maarten’s civil service organization is in the hands of each and every civil servant. This will come forth in daily interactions with our citizens.
In conclusion, I look forward to working with you all in forging our way forward and to continue to build upon the foundation of Ministry VROMI in building a better Sint Maarten for all with an outstanding public service center.
I take this opportunity to introduce to you our ‘persons of trust’ within our Ministry: Anthony Mardenborough and Michael Regales.
Thank you.
Maurice Lake
Ministry VROMI
PHOTO CUTLINE: Minister Hon. Maurice Lake