Government Ministries and State Owned Enterprises organised commemorative activities throughout last Friday under the theme ‘ Spirit of Service’ to celebrate Public Service Day.
Heads of ministries and senior officials addressed the value of service to the general public according to the responsibilities they are expected to undertake.
Most of the activities were held in the afternoon and also included special items of entertainment and lunch to mark the occasion.
Public Service Day should have been commemorated a week ago on the 25 September 2020 but was delayed by a visit to Savaii by the Cabinet Development Committee.
Cabinet Ministers, CEOs and senior officials from each of the ministries and corporation make up the Cabinet Committee.
Public Service Day was also celebrated in 2018 and 2019. Government Agencies carried out awareness-raising activities for the public particularly on services they provide.
The Office of the Public Service Commission led the way in creating public awareness of the services that are done by distributing information packages to schools.
The United Nations designated the 23 June as Public Service Day to celebrate the value and virtue of public service to the community; contribution to development; recognizes the work of public servants, and encourages young people to pursue careers in the public sector.
To bolster recognition of the Day and the value of public service, the United Nations established the UN Public Service Awards (UNPSA) programme in 2003, which was reviewed in 2016 to align with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The UNPSA aims to promote and reward innovation and excellence in public services by recognizing the creative achievements and contributions of public institutions that lead to a more effective and responsive public administration in countries worldwide in support of sustainable development.