The Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reforms, Mr Lutchmanah Pentiah, had a high-level meeting, this morning, in Port Louis, with the Acting Island Chief Executive at the Chief Commissioner's Office in Rodrigues, Mr Jean Thomas Genave to discuss critical issues relating to the welfare and performance of public officers in Rodrigues.
The Acting Island Chief Executive is currently on an official visit to Mauritius. He had prior meetings with senior officials from the Private Office and Home Affairs Department of the Prime Minister's Office, as well as with representatives of the Ministry of Finance.
During his meeting with Minister Pentiah, the Acting Island Chief Executive outlined the main areas of focus since assuming duties on 28 May 2025. His priorities include promoting compliance and discipline, enhancing service delivery and results, fostering teamwork, as well as ensuring the welfare of Rodriguan public officers.
Mr Jean Thomas Genave also identified several areas which require support such as training, competence upgrading, capacity building, short-term postings in Mauritius for the Human Resource Cadre and the fast-tracking of outstanding schemes of service.
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The Minister welcomed the initiatives and expressed concerns on matters raised by representatives of the Rodrigues General Employees Association, who had highlighted multiple shortcomings affecting public officers on the island. He emphasised the need to ensure fair and equitable recruitment and promotion across the public service. He underlined his belief in leading by example and reiterated his full support in building a more efficient, and equitable public service for both Mauritius and Rodrigues.
According to Mr Lutchmanah Pentiah, the strategic framework being developed by the Ministry of Public Service and Administrative Reforms will be implemented in Rodrigues as well. While acknowledging Rodrigues' specificities, he recalled the importance of alignment and coherence with national public service goals.
Speaking on the critical importance of training, the Minister announced that the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Public Service and Innovation will soon offer award courses in partnership with international universities. These part-time and flexi-mode courses aim to provide recognised certifications. On that score, he encouraged the Acting Island Chief Executive to allocate training budgets accordingly and suggested that public officers from Rodrigues undergoing training in Mauritius also benefit from internship opportunities within the Ministry.
In line with Budget 2025-2026, which provides for the creation of Reforms and Innovation Units across all ministries, Mr Pentiah urged the Acting Island Chief Executive to appoint a Director for Reforms to ensure Rodrigues is included in this transformative initiative. He further proposed the development of a Public Service Excellence Award Programme tailored to Rodrigues' unique context.
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