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The Public Administration Act, 2008 (Bill No. 2)

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PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION ACT PART I

DEFINITIONS AND DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES

1. Short title and commencement.
2. Interpretation.
3. Principle of accountability.
4. Public administration values.
5. Code of Ethics.

PART II

THE PUBLIC SERVICE Title 1 – Organisation

6. Ministers and Ministers’ secretariats.
7. Ministries.
8. Departments.
9. Senior Appointments Advisory Committee.
10. Titles of headship positions and other public offices, and equivalent titles at law.
11. Exercise of powers during a public officer’s absence.
12. Secretariats of boards and commissions.

Title 2 – Leadership

13. The Principal Permanent Secretary.
14. Appointment of Principal Permanent Secretary.
15. Directives and guidelines issued by the Principal Permanent Secretary in relation to departments of Government.
16. Committee of Permanent Secretaries.
17. Supervision of departments by Permanent Secretaries.
18. Duties of heads of department.
19. Senior Executive Service.

Title 3 – Public officers

20. Public officers’ assignment to and transfer between posts.
21. Merit principle.
22. Powers of heads of department in relation to employees.
23. Power to create, abolish and classify positions.
24. Appointments to positions.
25. Filling of positions by lateral appointment.
26. Removal from positions.
27. Grades.
28. Surplus Pool.
29. Applicability of certain provisions in terms of the Constitution.
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30. Extension to the public service of powers assigned to the Merit Protection
Commission.

PART III

MERIT PROTECTION COMMISSION, AGENCIES AND GOVERNMENT ENTITIES

Title 1 – The Merit Protection Commission

31. Public Service Commission to act as Merit Protection Commission.
32. Functions of the Commission.
33. Powers of investigation and remedy.
34. Recommendation on victimisation.
35. Application of this Title.

Title 2 – Agencies

36. Establishment of agencies.
37. Legal personality and judicial representation of agencies.
38. Directives and guidelines issued by the Principal Permanent Secretary in relation to agencies.
39. General direction and control of agencies by Ministers and supervision by
Permanent Secretaries.
40. Agency performance agreements.
41. Accounts, audit and other financial arrangements.
42. Advisory boards.
43. Detailing of public officers with an agency.
44. Pension rights and other arrangements.
45. Application of this Title.

Title 3 – Government entities, boards and commissions

46. Application of certain articles of this Act and of other laws.
47. Supervision of government entities by Permanent Secretaries.
48. Supervision of boards and commissions.
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PART IV MISCELLANEOUS
49. Power to make regulations.
50. Amendment to article 181B of the Code of Organisation and Civil Procedure.
51. Amendment to the Interpretation Act.

FIRST SCHEDULE – CODE OF ETHICS SECOND SCHEDULE – DEPARTMENTS THIRD SCHEDULE – GRADES

FOURTH SCHEDULE – AGENCIES

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A BILL

entitled

AN ACT to affirm the values of public administration as an instrument for the common good, to provide for the application of those values throughout the public sector, and to provide for the organisation and management thereof.

BE IT ENACTED by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the House of Representatives in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

PART I

DEFINITIONS AND DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES

1. (1) The short title of this Act is the Public Administration

Act, 2008.
(2) This Act shall come into force on such a date as the Prime Minister may by notice in the Gazette establish, and different dates may be so established for different provisions or different purposes of this Act:
Provided that articles 21 to 26 inclusive, 28 and 31 to 34 inclusive may only be brought into force after the necessary instruments of delegation have been issued in terms of article 110 of the Constitution.

2. (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:

“Code of Ethics” means the code of ethics in the First
Schedule;

Short title and commencement.

Interpretation.

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“department of Government” or “department” means any entity in the Public Service that is listed in the Second Schedule;
“Disciplinary Regulations” means the Disciplinary Procedure in the Public Service Commission Regulations or any other regulations on disciplinary matters substituting them and which may be made under subarticle (1) of article 121 of the Constitution;
“government agency” or “agency” means a body listed in the
Fourth Schedule;
“government entity” means an organisation, not being a government department, a government agency or a commercial partnership, in which Government has a controlling interest, whether or not such organisation is established by law;
“grade” means any of the grades listed in the Third Schedule, and consists of a group of one or more posts in one or more departments which bear a common designation and are filled directly through an appointment to the grade;
“Minister” means, unless the context otherwise requires, the Minister responsible for the public administration so however that where the Prime Minister has delegated, wholly or in part, any of the powers, functions or authorities assigned to him by this Act, the Prime Minister may still exercise such powers, functions or authorities collaterally with such Minister;
“ministry” means an organisation referred to in article 6; “position” means any office in the public service, other than
a grade;
“post” means a particular set of tasks or duties which are performed or intended to be performed by one person;
“Principal Permanent Secretary” means the person appointed in terms of article 14;
“public administration” means the Government of Malta including its ministries and departments, and the agencies, government entities, commissions and boards referred to in this Act;
“public administration values” means the values listed in article 4;
“public employee” includes public officers and employees of government agencies and government entities, and for the purpose of section B, section C and paragraph 27 of the Code of Ethics a person shall continue to be regarded as a public employee for three years following his retirement, resignation or dismissal from public employment;
“public office” has the same meaning assigned to it by article
124 of the Constitution and shall also, for the purposes of this Act, be understood to mean any grade or position in the public service except as indicated in subarticle (2);
“public officer” has the same meaning assigned to it by article
124 of the Constitution, but shall for the purposes of this Act be understood in accordance with subarticle (2);
“public service” has the same meaning assigned to it by the Constitution, but shall for the purposes of this Act be understood in accordance with subarticle (2);
“Public Service Commission” means the Commission established by article 109 of the Constitution;
“Senior Executive Service” means the body of senior public officers to which article 19 refers;
“transfer” means to assign a public officer to a different post. (2) This Act shall not apply to the offices of judge, magistrate
and Auditor General.
(3) Unless otherwise specified to the contrary in this Act, where a provision of this Act conflicts with the provisions of any other law governing a department, an agency or a government entity, the other law shall prevail.

3. Departments of Government, government agencies and government entities are bodies which manage public resources and which provide services to the public or perform other functions on behalf of the State, and as such, these bodies, and the public employees performing duties therein, shall:

(a) be governed by the provisions of this Act, including the public administration values and the Code of Ethics;
(b) be subject to Ministerial direction as provided for in the
Constitution and in this Act and other laws, except on matters in
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Principle of accountability.

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Public administration values.

Code of Ethics.

respect of which they are expressly required by law to act independently or under the direction of a person or authority other than a Minister;
(c) be accountable under this Act and other laws for the manner in which they provide services, carry out their functions and manage their resources, for their observance of the public administration values and the Code of Ethics, and for their observance of the Ministerial directions referred to in paragraph (b).

4. (1) Departments, agencies and government entities shall be governed by the values inherent in the duties listed hereunder, and public employees shall:

(a) exercise any powers vested in them by law, and deliver services to the public, courteously, expeditiously and impartially;
(b) provide objective and knowledgeable advice on matters within their competence;
(c) efficiently and effectively implement the policies of the government of the day;
(d) contribute towards the co-ordination of Government policy in conjunction with other departments, agencies, government entities and Local Councils; and
(e) contribute through their own conduct to making their workplace one which recognises talent, develops skills and abilities, rewards performance, avoids discrimination and offers safety.
(2) Public employees shall uphold and promote the public service values, and a failure to do so on the part of any public employee may constitute grounds for disciplinary proceedings against that employee under applicable rules and procedures.
(3) The Principal Permanent Secretary may issue directives and guidelines aimed at upholding and better realising the public service values, and public employees shall comply with such directives.

5. (1) The Code of Ethics set out in the First Schedule shall apply to public employees.

(2) The Prime Minister may from time to time, by Order in the Gazette, amend or substitute the First Schedule.
(3) It shall be the duty of all public employees to comply with the Code of Ethics, and failure to do so on the part of any public employee may constitute grounds for disciplinary proceedings against that employee under applicable rules and procedures.
(4) The Principal Permanent Secretary may issue directives and guidelines aimed at upholding and ensuring compliance with the Code of Ethics and, with the concurrence of the Minister responsible for the particular board or commission, he may also issue such guidelines with respect to boards and commissions.
(5) The head of a department, agency or government entity may make rules of ethical conduct, complementary and in addition to the Code of Ethics, relating to the circumstances particular to that organisation, and the term Code of Ethics in relation to public employees in that organisation shall include such rules.

PART II

THE PUBLIC SERVICE Title 1 – Organisation

6. (1) Where a Minister is assigned responsibility for any department of Government in terms of article 82 of the Constitution, that Minister shall, in line with article 92 of the Constitution, have the general direction and control of all departments, agencies and government entities that may be placed under his responsibility and may give directions directly to the head of the department, Chief Executive Officer, Board of Directors or any other employee falling within his responsibilities, on any matter, except matters where the head of department, Chief Executive Officer, Board of Directors or other employee is required by any law to act—

(a) independently; or
(b) in accordance with the direction of a person or authority other than the Minister:
Provided that where a Permanent Secretary has been appointed to supervise the relative department, agency or government entity the Minister shall inform the Permanent Secretary that he has given such directions.
(2) A Minister may be assigned responsibility for any department, agency or government entity including those listed in Part II of the Second Schedule.
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Ministers and Ministers’ secretariats.

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Ministries.

Departments.

(3) The staff assigned to the secretariat of a Minister, including advisors or consultants to the Minister, shall be deemed to be occupying positions of special trust and shall, even if they are public officers assigned on transfer, be appointed thereto on the basis of a definite contract:
Provided that on the expiration or termination of the contract, the directives and guidelines mentioned in subarticle (4) shall apply.
(4) The Prime Minister may issue directives and guidelines concerning the functions, administration and establishment of Ministers’ secretariats, the engagement of staff thereto, and the terms and conditions under which such staff shall serve.
(5) Save as may otherwise be provided for by the Prime Minister ’s directives, a Minister ’s secretariat shall be under the supervision of a member of staff designated as Head of Secretariat who shall report to the Minister.
(6) The provisions of subarticles (3), (4) and (5) of this article shall apply mutatis mutandis to the secretariat of a Parliamentary Secretary.

7. (1) A ministry shall be constituted as a distinct organisation in its own right under every Minister who is assigned portfolio responsibilities in accordance with article 82 of the Constitution, and the ministry shall consist of:

(a) the Minister’s secretariat;
(b) the secretariats of such Parliamentary Secretaries as may be appointed to assist the Minister;
(c) the office of the Permanent Secretary; and
(d) such other divisions, directorates, sections, offices or other units within the public service as may be placed or established within the Ministry by the Prime Minister.
(2) Where more than one Permanent Secretary reports to the same Minister (other than temporarily due to arrangements made under articles 83 or 84 of the Constitution), the scope of responsibilities of each Permanent Secretary shall be delineated by the Prime Minister.

8. (1) Departments of Government shall be those listed in the

Second Schedule.
(2) The functions of departments shall be in accordance with the indicative summaries shown against the respective departments in the Second Schedule.
(3) The Prime Minister may, by Order in the Gazette, amend the Second Schedule to:
(a) establish a new department;
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and
(b) abolish a department or change its name or function;
(c) change the titles of heads of department and other officers as provided for in article 10.
(4) Departments which, by virtue of any applicable laws or special administrative arrangements, are not subject to the direction and control of a Minister in the performance of their main functions shall be listed in Part II of the Second Schedule, but the applicability of any such law to such a department shall not depend on its listing in the Schedule.

9. (1) There shall be a Senior Appointments Advisory

Committee, hereinafter referred to as the Committee, that shall:
(a) consult the relevant Minister about the duties attached to and the results expected from any headship position that is vacant or expected to become vacant;
(b) identify candidates for the position in accordance with subarticle (2) of article 21 hereof, within the parameters set by the Constitution; and
(c) propose for the Prime Minister’s consideration the candidate who in its opinion is best suited on the basis of merit to fill the position.
(2) The Committee shall be chaired ex officio by the
Principal Permanent Secretary and shall consist of:
(a) at least two other members, one of whom shall not be a public officer, who shall be appointed by the Prime Minister; and
(b) any additional members co-opted by the Prime Minister for the purpose of considering applicants for specific headship positions.

Senior Appointments Advisory Committee.

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Titles of headship positions and other public offices, and equivalent titles at law.

(3) The Committee may call upon the advice and assistance of Permanent Secretaries in screening or short-listing candidates but shall otherwise regulate its own procedure.

10. (1) The Prime Minister may from time to time determine the position titles under which heads of department shall be appointed, and such titles shall be listed next to the names of the departments in the Second Schedule:

Provided that the re-designation of a position while it is occupied shall not be taken as a re-appointment of the incumbent or a change to the terms of his appointment.
(2) The assignment by the Prime Minister of similar position titles to different headship positions shall not mean that such positions should necessarily attract the same status and terms and conditions.
(3) Where, in accordance with the provisions of this Act, a headship position, or any other office in the public service, that has been established or is assigned functions by another Act—
(a) is assigned a new title; or
(b) is merged with another public office as a result of organisational restructuring;
the title assigned to the office by the other Act (hereafter in this article referred to as the “equivalent title at law”) shall be listed in the Second Schedule along with the new title of the office or the office with which it has been merged in terms of paragraph (a) or (b) as the case may be, and subarticles (4) and (5) shall apply.
(4) Where any office in the public service is listed in the
Second Schedule along with an equivalent title at law—
(a) the powers assigned to the office under its equivalent title at law shall vest in the holder of the office as currently titled; and
(b) both titles shall be regarded as interchangeable for the purpose of any law and a reference to one title in place of another shall not invalidate any act or any legal proceedings.
(5) Where any law—
(a) assigns, or permits the assignment of, functions to staff acting on behalf of the holder of a public office; and
(b) that office is listed in the Second Schedule as the equivalent title at law of a second office;
such functions may be performed by staff in the department to which the second office belongs, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the said law; but any conditions or requirements attached by the law to the performance of such functions shall otherwise continue to apply.
(6) If a public office has more than one equivalent title at law, subarticles (4) and (5) shall apply in respect of each such title.

11. The Permanent Secretary with respect to the head of any department listed in the Second Schedule and the head of department with respect to a member of staff as the case may be, shall ensure that the most suitable officer as the case may be is nominated for the purposes of subarticle (5) of article 124 of the Constitution with the aim of exercising any powers as are vested by any law if the head or other member of staff is absent from his office and temporarily unable to discharge his duties so that such powers shall be exercised during the period of the officer’s absence.

12. (1) Unless otherwise provided for in any other law, where a board is supported by a secretariat consisting of public officers drawn from a department, the board, limitedly in relation to administrative matters and matters affecting the department as a whole, shall be subject to the authority of the head of department.

(2) The secretariat of the board shall be under the direction of an officer, hereinafter referred to in this article as “the designated officer”, who shall follow the directions of the head of department within which the board secretariat operates on the matters mentioned in subarticle (1).
(3) A head of department shall not give directions to the board or the designated officer on matters in respect of which the board is required by law to function independently.
(4) In this article “board” includes any commission, council, panel, committee or other similar body, not being a body established by the Constitution, but does not include any ad hoc board set up for the purpose of inquiring into the conduct of any public employee or the operations of any department, agency, entity or such other similar body.

Title 2 – Leadership

13. (1) There shall be a Principal Permanent Secretary who shall be head of the public service and who shall be appointed in terms of article 14 of this Act.

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Exercise of powers during a public officer’s absence.

Secretariats of boards and commissions.

The Principal Permanent Secretary.

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(2) The Principal Permanent Secretary shall take instructions from the Prime Minister.
(3) The Principal Permanent Secretary may, with the concurrence of the Prime Minister, delegate any of his functions under this article to one or more Permanent Secretaries or heads of department.
(4) The Principal Permanent Secretary shall: (a) provide leadership to the public service;
(b) uphold and promote the public administration values and the Code of Ethics, and monitor the compliance of public employees therewith;
(c) take measures to improve the performance of the public service;
(d) assume overall responsibility for human resource management and development within the public service;
(e) take measures to ensure coordination between departments, agencies, government entities and Local Councils and to ensure that agencies and government entities are complying with the key policy objectives and management priorities of the Government;
(f) provide leadership and direction to Permanent
Secretaries;
(g) set performance targets for Permanent Secretaries and monitor their performance following consultation with the relative Minister;
(h) advise the Prime Minister on matters relating to the public service and the wider public sector, including the appointment and termination of appointment of Permanent Secretaries and heads of department; and
(i) perform any other function that may be assigned to him by or under any law.
(5) The Principal Permanent Secretary shall assume the headship and supervisory functions of a Permanent Secretary in relation to the Office of the Prime Minister and the departments, agencies and government entities under the Prime Minister’s responsibility:
Provided that one or more additional Permanent Secretaries may be appointed to assist the Principal Permanent Secretary in accordance with such arrangements as the Prime Minister may make under subarticle (2) of article 7.

14. (1) The Principal Permanent Secretary shall be appointed from amongst persons having the qualifications to be appointed Permanent Secretaries in terms of the Constitution.

(2) Where the Principal Permanent Secretary is not appointed for any reason whatsoever, the Secretary to the Cabinet shall assume the functions of Principal Permanent Secretary until such time as a Principal Permanent Secretary is appointed.

15. (1) The Principal Permanent Secretary may issue directives and guidelines as variously specified in this Act and may in addition issue directives and guidelines on any matter relating to the organisation and management of the public service, and in so doing he shall seek to frame his directives in the best interests of the consumer and in such a manner as to impose the least possible administrative burden.

(2) Public officers shall comply with all applicable directives issued by the Principal Permanent Secretary, and officers who fail to comply shall be liable to proceedings under the Disciplinary Regulations.
(3) Directives issued by the Principal Permanent Secretary may incorporate guidelines to assist public officers in correctly applying and observing the directives, and public officers shall accordingly have regard to such guidelines.
(4) Directives and guidelines issued by the Principal Permanent Secretary may apply for a definite or an indefinite period and to any or all departments and public officers, according to the nature of the provisions contained therein or as specified by the Principal Permanent Secretary.
(5) The Principal Permanent Secretary may codify standing directives and guidelines, together with any amendments that he may make thereto from time to time, in the form of the Public Service Management Code or other manuals on specific matters which he may issue for this purpose.
(6) The Prime Minister may give directions to the Principal Permanent Secretary concerning the issue, amendment or revocation of any directives and guidelines.
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Appointment of Principal Permanent Secretary.

Directives and guidelines issued by the Principal Permanent

Secretary in relation to departments of Government.

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Committee of Permanent Secretaries.

Supervision of departments by Permanent Secretaries.

16. (1) There shall be a Committee of Permanent Secretaries which shall be chaired by the Principal Permanent Secretary, and which shall consist of the Secretary to the Cabinet as deputy chairperson and all Permanent Secretaries as members.

(2) The Permanent Secretaries shall fulfil their collegiate responsibility for the performance of the public service, facilitate the realisation of Government policies and ensure the achievement of Government objectives that cut across ministries through the Committee of Permanent Secretaries.
(3) The meetings of the Committee of Permanent Secretaries shall be convened by the Principal Permanent Secretary as often as he may deem necessary but at least once every three months.
(4) This article shall apply without prejudice to the individual responsibility of Permanent Secretaries to their Ministers, and to the Prime Minister through the Principal Permanent Secretary, for the achievement of Government objectives.

17. (1) Where, in accordance with subarticle (2) of article 92 of the Constitution, a Permanent Secretary is charged with the supervision of one or more of the departments of Government that are listed in Part I of the Second Schedule, he shall ensure that each department is:

(a) working towards the timely and effective fulfilment, in conjunction with other government organisations as appropriate, of his Minister’s and the Government’s policy objectives;
(b) being managed according to law, the public service values, the Code of Ethics, and applicable policies and directives governing staff conduct, management and the use of resources; and
(c) operating economically, efficiently and effectively and delivering any services to the public to a satisfactory standard.
(2) A Permanent Secretary shall advise his Minister on all matters pertaining to the departments under his supervision.
(3) A Permanent Secretary may give directions to and set targets for a head of department on any matter in fulfilment of his duties under subarticle (1), and he shall monitor and assess the head of department’s performance in relation to such directions and targets:
Provided that a Permanent Secretary may not give directions to or set targets for a head of department on matters where the head is required by any law to act independently or in accordance with the direction of a person or authority other than a Minister.
(4) A Permanent Secretary may, with the concurrence of the Prime Minister, exercise his powers of supervision of a department of government through another public officer of suitable seniority.
(5) A Permanent Secretary shall be answerable to his Minister and, through the Principal Permanent Secretary, to the Prime Minister for the performance of the departments under his supervision notwithstanding any arrangements that may be in effect under subarticle (4).
(6) Where a Permanent Secretary is charged with the supervision of one or more of the departments listed in Part II of the Second Schedule, this article shall apply subject to the following limitations:
(a) paragraph (a) of subarticle (1) and subarticle (2) shall not apply; and
(b) subarticle (5) shall apply only as may be compatible with paragraph (a) of this subarticle.

18. (1) Besides any other duties that may be assigned or delegated to him by or under any law, it shall be the duty of a head of department—

(a) to manage the activities and programmes of the department efficiently, effectively and economically;
(b) to ensure that the department achieves a satisfactory standard in the delivery of any services to the public and the business community with the least possible bureaucratic processes;
(c) to tender advice to the relative Minister through the Permanent Secretary and to other authorities as appropriate on matters within the department’s competence;
(d) to establish performance indicators covering the programmes and activities of the department, and to set performance targets for public officers serving in the department; and
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Duties of heads of department.

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Senior Executive

Service.

(e) to coordinate the activities of the department with those of other government organisations in the best interests of efficiency, effectiveness and service quality.
(2) The head of a department that is listed in Part I of the Second Schedule shall answer to his Minister through the Permanent Secretary and shall discharge his duties under subarticle (1) in accordance with their lawful directions.
(3) The head of a department that is listed in Part II of the Second Schedule shall discharge his duties under subarticle (1) in accordance with the laws governing his department and any special administrative arrangements that may apply thereto.

19. (1) There shall be a Senior Executive Service which shall be headed by the Principal Permanent Secretary and shall consist of:

(a) Permanent Secretaries;
(b) heads of the departments listed in the Second Schedule; (c) senior public officers within each ministry who have
been charged with primary responsibility for any of the following
or similar functions:
(i) the management of corporate services; (ii) policy development;
(iii) the application of performance indicators;
(iv) the co-ordination of European Union affairs; and
(v) information management; and
(d) the holders of such other senior public offices as the
Prime Minister may designate for this purpose.
(2) Officers in a ministry or department who are members of the Senior Executive Service shall constitute the senior management team of that ministry or department, and in relation thereto they shall, without prejudice to the authority of the head of the department or ministry, be collectively responsible for:
(a) promoting and upholding the public administration values, the Code of Ethics, and applicable policies and directives governing staff conduct, management and the use of resources;
(b) achieving satisfactory levels of efficiency and quality in the delivery of any public services; and
(c) achieving Government objectives, in coordination as necessary with other units, departments, agencies and government entities.
(3) A member of the Senior Executive Service shall be individually responsible in relation to his area of responsibility for the matters listed in subarticle (2); and he shall be liable to proceedings under the Disciplinary Regulations if he fails to prevent or correct misconduct or negligence on the part of his subordinates where he could reasonably have taken steps to do so.
(4 ) Offices within the Senior Executive Service may be established, abolished or retitled only by the Prime Minister, who may prescribe the terms on which appointments to such offices shall be made:
Provided that this subarticle shall not be read as conferring power to change the terms of an officer’s appointment during the course of that appointment;
Provided further that an office may be abolished only if any of the conditions listed under subarticle (4) of article 23 applies.
(5) The Prime Minister may delegate his powers under paragraph (d) of subarticle (1) and subarticle (4) to the Principal Permanent Secretary or to other senior public officers in such respects, and under such conditions, as he may prescribe.
(6) Officers in the Senior Executive Service listed in paragraphs (c) and (d) of subarticle (1) shall be appointed in accordance with article 21 hereof and in terms of article 110 of the Constitution.

Title 3 – Public officers

20. (1) A public officer may be assigned to a post in any department in the public service which involves performance of the duties of his grade or position, and he may also be transferred to such a post in any other department.

(2) Such initial assignment or transfer may be made by the Principal Permanent Secretary or by any other public officer delegated by him for the purpose.

21. (1) Except as otherwise provided for in this or any other Act, appointments to public offices shall be made by competitive selection on merit.

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Public officers’ assignment to and transfer between posts.

Merit principle.

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Powers of heads of department in relation to employees.

Power to create, abolish and classify positions.

Appointments to positions.

(2) For the purpose of this article, competitive selection on merit means the selection of the candidate who appears best suited for the office on the basis of an assessment of eligible candidates’ individual and relative merits against the requirements of that office.

22. Subject to the provisions of the Constitution, of article 469A of the Code of Organisation and Civil Procedure, and the provisions of the Public Service Management Code, a head of department shall exercise in relation to public officers in his department all rights, duties and powers of an employer in relation to his employees.

23. (1) A head of department may in writing create positions in his department in accordance with such directives and guidelines as may be issued in that respect by the Principal Permanent Secretary.

(2) Positions shall be classified, and the terms and conditions of service applicable thereto determined, in accordance with such directives and guidelines on classification as may be issued by the Principal Permanent Secretary with the approval of the Prime Minister.
(3) A head of department may retitle a position in his department and alter the duties attached to it, and if necessary the position shall be reclassified in accordance with subarticle (2):
Provided that this subarticle shall not be read as conferring power to change the terms of an officer’s appointment during the course of that appointment.
(4) A head of department may abolish a position in his department only in the following cases:
(a) where a position has been filled through a contract of service for a fixed term or for the duration of a specified task, on the conclusion of that term or task; or
(b) if the position is vacant; or
(c) if the position is no longer needed by the department. (5) No person in any position may be paid a remuneration
which is less than that applicable to his grade.

24. (1) A head of department may appoint a person to fill a position in a department under his charge in accordance with such directives and guidelines as may be issued by the Principal Permanent Secretary in relation thereto.

(2) Appointments to positions shall be made in the manner prescribed under article 110 and paragraph (1) of article 121 of the Constitution and in accordance with article 21 of this Act, and before making an appointment to a position a head of department shall—
(a) advertise the position in such a manner as to allow eligible persons a reasonable opportunity to apply for the position; and
(b) appoint a selection panel to examine applicants and to make recommendations based on the criteria set out in article 21.
(3) Any person appointed to a position in terms of this article shall, for the duration of his appointment, be considered a public officer and shall have all the rights, powers and duties pertaining thereto under this law and any applicable law, even if he does not hold a grade.
(4) A head of department may make an appointment to a position for a fixed term or for the duration of a specified task.
(5) An appointment for a fixed term may, subject to the provisions of any other law, be extended for one further term without recourse to a fresh call for applications.
(6) The Principal Permanent Secretary may issue directives and guidelines on matters of employment including but not limited to:
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and
(a) the definition of eligibility requirements for positions;
(b) the conditions under which heads may make appointments;
so however that where the tasks that are to be carried out are intermittent or not on a regular basis, they shall be commissioned though a contract for service.
(7) The Principal Permanent Secretary shall consult with the Public Service Commission before issuing directives and guidelines under this article, and in so far as such directives and guidelines deal with matters falling within the scope of subarticle (1) of article 110 of the Constitution they may only be issued with the agreement of the Public Service Commission.

25. (1) A head of department may opt to fill a position through the appointment of a public officer who holds a grade or position at a level comparable to the vacant position, such that the officer so appointed

Filling of positions by lateral appointment.

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Removal from positions.

Grades.

shall not obtain better terms and conditions, including salary, than those pertaining to his grade or to his previous position solely by virtue of this lateral appointment.
(2) Where a position is filled in terms of subarticle (1), a competitive selection need not be carried out and in this respect article
21 shall not apply to appointments made in accordance with this article.

26. (1) A public officer may not be removed from a position except in the following cases:

(a) as a sanction in accordance with the Disciplinary
Regulations; or
(b) at the end of the term for which the appointment to the position was made; or
(c) where the position is abolished.
(2) Where a public officer in a grade has been appointed to a position in accordance with the provisions of this Act, he shall retain his grade and shall, on the expiry or termination of his appointment to the position, be assigned work in his grade, unless his appointment to the grade has also been terminated or he is declared surplus to requirements in terms of article 28.

27. (1) The grades to which public officers may be appointed shall be those listed in the Third Schedule.

(2) The Minister responsible for the public administration may, by Order in the Gazette, add new grades to the Third Schedule and abolish or retitle any of the grades listed therein.
(3) The Minister responsible for the public administration shall, after informing the Public Service Commission, establish the eligibility requirements for appointments to each grade including, where applicable, rules of progression.
(4) The Minister responsible for the public administration may delegate his powers under this article to the Principal Permanent Secretary or to other senior public officers in such respects, and under such conditions, as he may prescribe.
(5) Whenever the terms and conditions of a public officer’s appointment are in conflict with the Third Schedule, such terms and conditions shall prevail.
(6) Appointments to grades shall be made in the manner prescribed under article 110 and subarticle (1) of article 121 of the Constitution and based on the eligibility requirements prescribed under subarticle (3), and except as otherwise provided by the foregoing, in accordance with article 21 of this Act.

28. (1) In this article “Surplus Pool” means those public officers who are assigned thereto as provided by subarticle (2) hereof because they are surplus to requirements, that is:

(a) they are not needed in their current posts and cannot be transferred or laterally appointed to other duties within their respective department; and
(b) they cannot be transferred to another department in terms of article 20.
(2) The Principal Permanent Secretary may by direction in writing assign a public officer who is surplus to requirements to the Surplus Pool, concurrently —
(a) assigning the said officer such duties in any department as the Principal Permanent Secretary may deem appropriate in view of the officer’s skills and abilities; or
(b) assigning such officer for retraining in a specialisation, skill or profession in which the public service has a shortage of staff.
(3) A public officer in a substantive grade who is assigned to the Surplus Pool shall retain his substantive grade.
(4) An officer who has been retrained to a satisfactory standard in terms of paragraph (b) of subarticle (2) may be withdrawn from the Surplus Pool and appointed by the Principal Permanent Secretary to a grade or position appropriate to the officer’s new skills provided that in the case of such appointments the provisions of article
21 need not be applied.
(5) The duration of the assignment under subarticle (2) shall be determined by the Principal Permanent Secretary.

29. Articles 21 to 26 inclusive and 28 hereof shall have effect subject to there being an instrument of delegation in force under article

110 of the Constitution, and they shall cease to have effect to the extent that such delegation is withdrawn, suspended or derogated from by amendment, until such time as the instrument is restored.
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Surplus Pool.

Applicability of certain provisions in terms of the Constitution.

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Extension to the public service of powers assigned to the Merit Protection Commission.

Public Service Commission to act as Merit Protection Commission.

Functions of the

Commission.

30. Once the relative articles are brought into force in terms of subarticle (2) of Article 1 of this Act, the Public Service Commission shall, acting in accordance with subarticle (1) of article 121 of the Constitution, extend to the public service any or all of the provisions of articles 32, 33 and 34 of this Act, assuming directly in respect of the public service the powers therein assigned to the Merit Protection Commission:

Provided that the restrictions applying to the Merit Protection Commission concerning matters under the jurisdiction of the Industrial Tribunal shall not apply to the Public Service Commission acting in relation to the public service and public officers.

PART III

MERIT PROTECTION COMMISSION, AGENCIES AND GOVERNMENT ENTITIES

Title 1 – The Merit Protection Commission

31. In addition to its functions under any other law the Public Service Commission shall act as a Merit Protection Commission (in this Title referred to as the “Commission”) for the purposes of this Act.

32. (1) Subject to subarticle (3), the functions of the

Commission shall be:
(a) to audit the appointment of employees of government agencies and government entities to verify that these are made in accordance with article 21;
(b) to monitor and suggest amendments to directives and guidelines on employment matters issued by the Principal Permanent Secretary in relation to agencies and government entities, as well as the application of such directives and guidelines; and
(c) unless otherwise catered for in the legislation, Order or instrument setting up the government entity, agency, board or commission or any other similar organisation or body, to inquire into reports that the directives issued by the Principal Permanent Secretary have not been adhered to.
(2) In performing its functions in virtue of paragraph (a) of subarticle (1) the Commission shall operate through after-the-event scrutiny and shall not subject any agency or government entity to any requirement to obtain the Commission’s clearance or approval in
advance of making appointments or taking decisions, except as a temporary measure in cases where the Commission —
(a) finds that the provisions of this Act have been, or are likely to be, breached; and
(b) is of the view that such a measure is necessary to prevent further breaches of this Act until such time as the Commission is able to conclude any investigations and take corrective measures.
(3) The Commission shall not hear and investigate complaints on matters which are assigned exclusively by any other law to any other body or to the jurisdiction of the Industrial Tribunal referred to in the Employment and Industrial Relations Act, and if any such complaints are made to the Commission it shall refer the complainants to the Tribunal; but in relation to such matters the Commission may—
(a) on its own initiative inquire into and investigate any cases with respect to which no formal complaints have been raised; and
(b) follow up a decision or award of the Industrial Tribunal with a view to taking additional remedial action under paragraph (c) of subarticle (4) and subarticle (5) of article 33 of this Act.
(4) The Commission shall regulate its own procedure in the discharge of its functions under this Act.

33. (1) For the purposes of its functions under this Act the

Commission may:
(a) carry out such inspections and investigations as it may deem necessary;
(b) summon any person to appear before it and give evidence on oath;
(c) request in writing the production of information, documents or files in the custody of any public employee for the purpose of examining the same or making copies thereof; and
(d) enter the premises of any agency or government entity, subject to compliance with any legal requirements placed by any law on the police for the same purposes.
(2) Article 6 of the Inquiries Act shall apply to the investigations undertaken by the Commission and any summons or requests it may make in pursuit thereof.
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Powers of investigation and remedy.

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Recommendation on victimisation.

(3) Without prejudice to subarticles (4) and (5) and article
34, the Commission’s findings may be used in evidence in any civil cause that may be filed by the injured party but, notwithstanding any other law, the members of the Commission cannot be called to give evidence.
(4) The Commission shall make a report to the Prime Minister following every investigation under this Act, and where it finds that an employment decision has been made otherwise than in conformity with the provisions of this Act it shall:
(a) annul the decision in question;
(b) issue such directives as it may consider necessary to redress the situation; and
(c) recommend the taking of such disciplinary or criminal action as it may consider appropriate in the circumstances.
(5) Without prejudice to any disciplinary or criminal action that may be taken in accordance with paragraph (c) of subarticle (4), where an employee of a government agency or government entity has made an employment decision that is not in conformity with the provisions of this Act the Commission may remove the employee from his position and/or interdict him from appointment or re-appointment for a maximum period of five years.
(6) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, the decisions taken and directives issued by the Commission under paragraphs (a) and (b) of subarticle (4) and under subarticle (5) shall be binding on the organisation to which they apply, and the board of directors or head of the organisation as applicable shall ensure that the Commission’s decisions and directives are complied with.

34. (1) The Commission shall ensure, in so far as its powers under this Act permit, that no employee of a government agency or government entity is victimised for making any report to his superior, to the Commission or to another relevant authority about any breach by another employee of the Code of Ethics or of any other provision of this or any other Act.

(2) Where the Commission finds that an employee has been victimised as aforesaid in a manner that it is unable to prevent or redress, it shall make a report to the Prime Minister or to other authorities recommending such measures to redress the situation as it considers appropriate.

35. The provisions of this Title, unless otherwise indicated in this Act, shall only apply to agencies and government entities.

Title 2 – Agencies

36. (1) A government agency may be set up by or under any law or by Order of the Prime Minister in the Gazette.

(2) An Order establishing an agency under this Act shall serve as the basic charter governing the agency’s operations and it shall:
(a) set out the functions and duties of the agency; (b) specify which Minister is responsible therefor;
(c) prescribe the financial arrangements applying to the agency in accordance with article 41;
(d) set out any other special arrangements applying to the agency; and
(e) amend the Fourth Schedule.
(3) All government agencies established in accordance with subarticle (1) shall be listed in the Fourth Schedule together with an indicative summary of their functions.
(4) The Prime Minister may by Order in the Gazette:
(a) abolish an agency established by Order under this Act and listed in the Fourth Schedule; or
(b) amend the functions and duties thereof as well as amend any other matter provided for in subarticle (2) hereof:
Provided that any such Order shall provide for the necessary amendments to the Fourth Schedule.

37. (1) A government agency shall be a body corporate having a separate and distinct legal personality and capable of entering into contracts, of employing personnel, of acquiring, holding and disposing of any kind of property for the purposes of its operations, and of suing and being sued, and to which any function or operation of Government may be assigned under this or any other law.

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Application of this

Title.

Establishment of agencies.

Legal personality and judicial representation of agencies.

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Directives and guidelines issued by the Principal Permanent

Secretary in relation to agencies.

(2) The legal and judicial representation of an agency shall lie in its Chief Executive Officer or such other officer of the agency as the Minister responsible for it may from time to time appoint by notice in the Gazette:
Provided that for the purposes of article 181B of the Code of Organisation and Civil Procedure, where such other officer is duly designated, any reference to the Chief Executive Officer in a judicial action or act shall automatically apply to the officer so designated.

38. (1) Except in so far as expressly precluded by any other law or any Order establishing an agency under this Act, the Principal Permanent Secretary may in addition to his powers under articles 4, 5 and 40 issue directives and guidelines to any or all government agencies to –

(a) ensure that agencies coordinate their activities with other agencies, departments, government entities and Local Councils as applicable;
(b) put into effect measures to improve the performance of agencies and the quality of the services they deliver to the public;
(c) provide for matters relating to employment, including – (i) the redeployment of staff to, from or between
agencies; and
(ii) the application of the merit principle and the establishment of safeguards in relation thereto;
(d) establish mechanisms for staff classification and the determination of pay levels; and
(e) put into effect such other policy objectives and management priorities as the Government may from time to time set out.
(2) Chief Executive Officers and employees of government agencies shall comply with all applicable directives issued by the Principal Permanent Secretary, and failure to comply shall be grounds for disciplinary proceedings under any applicable procedures.
(3) The Principal Permanent Secretary shall seek to frame his directives in the best interests of the consumer and in such a manner as to impose the least possible administrative burden on agencies consonant with the achievement of Government objectives, bearing in mind any directives issued in virtue of article 72 of the Financial Administration and Audit Act.
(4) Subarticles (3) to (6) of article 15 shall apply mutatis mutandis to the directives issued by the Principal Permanent Secretary under this article.

39. (1) Save as otherwise provided in any other law or in any Order establishing an agency, the Chief Executive Officer of any agency shall be under the general direction and control of the Minister responsible for the agency and, subject to such direction and control, under the supervision of the Permanent Secretary of that ministry.

(2) Save as aforementioned, where an agency is subject to supervision by a Permanent Secretary article 17, except for subarticle (6) thereof, and article 18 shall apply to the agency and its Chief Executive Officer in the same manner as to departments and their heads.

40. (1) A government agency shall enter into an agency performance agreement with the Permanent Secretary responsible therefor, or, where a Permanent Secretary is not appointed, with the relative Minister, and such agreement shall set out the tasks to be addressed by the agency, the targets it is expected to meet, and the funds available to it.

(2) An agency performance agreement may cover one or more years and shall be renewable in accordance with such directives and guidelines as the Principal Permanent Secretary may issue governing the development of agency performance agreements.

41. (1) The Prime Minister shall, in consultation with the Minister responsible for finance, decide on the manner in which an agency should be financed and whether and to what extent the provisions of the Financial Administration and Audit Act shall apply to the agency.

(2) The following provisions shall apply:
(a) heads of agency shall keep proper books of accounts in such a manner as the Minister responsible for finance may from time to time direct;
(b) such accounts shall be subject to audit by an auditor appointed for the purpose by the head of each agency with the concurrence of the Minister responsible for finance and shall moreover be subject to scrutiny by the Financial Management Monitoring Unit, and audit by the Internal Audit and Investigations Directorate and the Auditor General as the case may be;
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General direction and control of agencies by Ministers and supervision by Permanent Secretaries.

Agency performance agreements.

Accounts, audit and other financial arrangements.

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Advisory boards.

Detailing of public officers with an agency.

Pension rights and other arrangements.

(c) not later than six weeks after the end of each financial year, the head of each agency shall present to his Minister through the relative Permanent Secretary an audited statement of accounts together with a report on the workings of the agency which shall state the manner in which the agency has operated to fulfil its functions and its plans for the future; and
(d) this report shall be laid before the House by the Minister responsible for the agency not later than six weeks after its receipt or, where the House is not in session, not later than the second week after the House resumes its sittings.

42. (1) The Minister responsible for an agency may establish an advisory board to assist the Chief Executive Officer in the discharge of his duties.

(2) An advisory board established under this article shall be chaired by the Chief Executive Officer and shall consist of not less than two and not more than four members appointed by the Minister responsible for the agency.
(3) The remuneration paid to members of an agency advisory board shall be in accordance with any directives and guidelines issued by the Principal Permanent Secretary in relation thereto.

43. The Principal Permanent Secretary may, following the direction of the Prime Minister, detail or revoke the detailing of a public officer for duty with an agency for such a term and under such conditions as he may prescribe.

44. (1) Where a public officer is detailed for duty with an agency such officer shall, during the time in which such direction is in force, be under the administrative direction and control of the head of the agency, but shall otherwise remain and retain all rights and duties as a public officer, and for the purpose of any law relating to government service pensions, service with any such agency shall be deemed to be service with the Government:

Provided that in assessing the pensionable emoluments of such officer for the purposes of any law relating to government service pensions, no account shall be taken of any allowances, bonuses or gratuities paid to such officer by the agency in excess of what he is entitled to as a public officer:
Provided further that during the time in respect of which he is so detailed to perform duties with the agency his terms and conditions of
service shall not be less favourable than those which are attached to his appointment with the Government during the period aforesaid. Such terms and conditions shall not be deemed to be less favourable because they are not in all respects identical or superior to those enjoyed by the officer concerned at the date of such detailing, if in the opinion of the Prime Minister such terms and conditions, taken as a whole, offer substantially equivalent or greater benefits.
(2) (a) For the purposes of calculating pensionable emoluments, posts and salary grades with an agency shall be classified in the most nearly corresponding grades and incremental levels in the services of the Government of Malta by reference to job descriptions, skills, responsibilities and other analogous factors.
(b) The classification referred to in paragraph (a) shall be carried out by a board composed of a chairperson appointed by the Minister responsible for finance and two other members, one appointed by the Minister responsible for the agency and one appointed by the agency. The classification shall be subject to the final approval of the Minister responsible for finance.
(c) Such classification shall take place within three months of any adjustment of the salaries of employees in Government service or of employees of the agency.
(d) No post shall be classified in a grade higher than that of a Grade 3 in the service of Government or such other grade that the Minister responsible for finance may from time to time, by notice in the Gazette, determine.
(e) Without prejudice to article 113 of the Constitution, no person may, following a classification as aforesaid, be entitled to rights under the Pensions Ordinance less favourable than those to which he would have been entitled prior to such classification.
(f) Without prejudice to any other law, where on the date of the coming into force of this Act, arrangements which should have been made with respect to public officers that have been detailed in terms of any applicable law have not been finalised, the Prime Minister may issue regulations with the purpose of resolving any administrative difficulties that may have arisen between the time that a public officer has been detailed.

45. The provisions of this Title shall apply to all government agencies.

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Application of this

Title.

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Application of certain articles of

this Act and of other laws.

Supervision of government entities by Permanent Secretaries.

Supervision of boards and commissions.

Title 3 ––Government entities, boards and commissions

46. Subject to any other law governing a government entity, the Prime Minister may by Order in the Gazette extend to any such entity and/or the officers and employees thereof, the applicability of any of the provisions of this Act which do not already apply thereto as well as the applicability of any other law applying to the public service or to public officers.

47. (1) A government entity which is subject to the direction and control of a Minister shall, to the extent delegated by that Minister, be subject to supervision by the appropriate Permanent Secretary, in which case the Permanent Secretary may be empowered to issue directions to the entity and to instruct or advise Government representatives on the entity’s governing board.

(2) A Permanent Secretary who is supervising a government entity in terms of subarticle (1) shall ascertain that it is—
(a) working towards the timely and effective fulfilment, in conjunction with other government entities as appropriate, of the Minister’s and the Government’s policy objectives;
(b) being managed according to law, the public administration values, the Code of Ethics, and applicable policies and directives governing staff conduct, management and the use of resources; and
(c) operating economically, efficiently and effectively and delivering any services to the public to a satisfactory standard.
(3) In fulfilment of his duties under subarticle (2), a Permanent Secretary may, in consultation with the relative Minister, establish targets for the entity and require any information except where this is precluded by law.
(4) A Permanent Secretary shall report to his Minister on the performance of the government entities under his supervision.

48. (1) The Principal Permanent Secretary may extend to boards and commissions any or all of the directives and guidelines referred to in this Act, after consultation with the Prime Minister or with the Minister where the Prime Minister has appointed a Minister with responsibility for the public administration.

(2) The provisions of article 47 shall mutatis mutandis also apply with respect to boards and commissions.
(3) The directives and guidelines mentioned in subarticle (1) and the supervision referred to in subarticle (2) shall apply to administrative and day-to-day affairs of boards and commissions without prejudice to the rights and duties of the said boards and commissions to carry out those functions or roles for which they are set up.
(4) In this article, “boards and commissions” includes any council, committee, panel or similar body not already catered for by this Act and in any case shall not apply to any commission or authority established by the Constitution.

PART IV MISCELLANEOUS

49. The Prime Minister may make regulations to give effect to any of the provisions of this Act and the enforcement thereof, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing such regulations may provide for:

(a) the better management and administration of the public service, government agencies and government entities;
(b) the manner in which the accounts and records of government agencies and government entities are to be kept;
(c) the manner in which goods and services are to be procured by any or all government agencies or government entities, and the procedures to be adopted in connection therewith;
(d) the sanctions that may be applicable in case of breaches of the Code of Ethics;
(e) the manner in which public officers shall be detailed, released, deployed, attached or seconded with agencies and government entities, and the rights accruing to such officers, so however that the Prime Minister may, without prejudice to any vested rights, also issue regulations with a view to resolving any matter outstanding as at the time of the coming into force of this Act; and
(f) the recruitment to the public sector of nationals of member states of the European Union other than Malta and nationals of other countries enjoying similar rights in relation to the free movement of workers:
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Power to make regulations.

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Amendment to article 181B of the Code of Organisation and Civil Procedure.

Amendment to the

Interpretation Act.

Provided that posts involving the exercise of public authority and the safeguarding of the general interests of the State, and particularly those listed herein, shall be reserved for Maltese nationals:
(i) posts in the Office of the President, the House of Representatives, the Prime Minister ’s and Ministers’ Secretariats, the Cabinet Office, and the offices of the Principal Permanent Secretary and of Permanent Secretaries;
(ii) the Judiciary, posts involving the preparation of expert advice in the field of prosecution of offences or lawmaking, and posts entailing responsibility for advisory constitutional bodies;
(iii) posts involving the sovereignty of the State, including diplomatic and foreign representation;
(iv) posts in the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministries of Finance, Justice, Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs;
(v) posts within departments charged with the protection of the economic interests of the State, including tax authorities;
(vi) positions in the Senior Executive Service;
(vii) posts in the disciplined forces and offices responsible for defence matters; and
(viii) posts in the security services and in the field of civil protection and defence.

50. In paragraph (b) of subarticle (1) of article 181B of the Code of Organisation and Civil Procedure, for the words “by the Administrative Secretary” there shall be substituted the words “by the Principal Permanent Secretary”.

51. Immediately after paragraph (c) of article 6 of the

Interpretation Act, the following proviso shall be added:
“Provided that on employment, promotion or disciplinary matters in relation to individual employees, such direction may only be given by the Prime Minister and in such a case the head of department shall inform the Public Service Commission.”

FIRST SCHEDULE CODE OF ETHICS

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(Article 5)

A. Principles

1. This Code of Ethics is adopted within a framework of principles which are fundamental to the ethos governing behaviour. These have been identified as public trust; serving the public and the business community; responsibility to the Government of the day; productivity and flexibility; and public employees’ rights.
2. The public has a right to expect that public sector organisations and their employees are of the highest integrity and competence and serve all citizens fairly, reasonably, equitably and efficiently.
3. Public employees shall provide impartial and accurate advice to the Government of the day and shall implement its policies promptly, efficiently and effectively.
4. The public and the business community have a right to expect that public employees will seek to meet their legitimate needs promptly and courteously.
5. The nation expects public employees to be committed to a constant quest for innovation, improved productivity, and the simplification of procedures, so as to contribute to national economic growth and competitiveness.
6. Public employees shall make full use of information and communication technology as an essential tool in the improvement of public administration and the delivery of better services, and they shall ensure that they possess the necessary skills to this end.
7. Public employees’ rights are all the rights of employees, within the provisions of legislation and regulations.

B. Conflicts of Interest

8. A conflict of interest may be defined as a situation in which a public employee has a private or personal interest sufficient to influence or appear to influence the objective exercise of his or her official duties.
9. Public employees shall avoid any financial or other interest or undertaking that could directly or indirectly compromise the performance of their duties.
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10. In many cases only the individual employee will be aware of the potential for conflict. Therefore, the onus is on the employee to disclose to his or her senior if a potential or actual conflict of interest arises.
11. This includes the notification of all relevant personal, financial, business or other interests, in particular:
(a) any directorship, partnership, agency or any shareholding;
(b) any interest in any activity or business in which or with which the organisation is engaged;
(c) any interest in goods or services recommended or supplied to the organisation.
12. Public employees shall notify the head of the organisation in writing within a week whenever any of the above interests arise namely, upon assuming office, change in duties or due to a change in circumstances.

C. Acceptance of Gifts or Benefits

13. No public employee or any member of his household shall accept gifts or services such as might be deemed to create an obligation, real or imagined.
14. A gift can be interpreted as an inducement or a reward simply because of its intrinsic value and therefore only token gifts may be accepted.

D. Personal and Professional Behaviour

15. Public employees shall perform any duties associated with their positions diligently, impartially and conscientiously, to the best of their ability.
16. In the performance of their duties, public employees shall:
(a) keep up to date with advances and changes in their area of expertise; (b) comply with any relevant legislative or administrative requirements;
(c) treat members of the public and other staff members with courtesy and sensitivity to their rights;
(d) provide all necessary and appropriate assistance to members of the public;
(e) maintain adequate documentation to support any decisions made;
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(f) strive to obtain value for public money spent and avoid waste and extravagance in the use of public resources;
(g) not take or seek to take improper advantage of any official information gained in the course of employment;
(h) not wilfully supply incorrect or misleading information; (i) not indulge in favouritism or nepotism.
17. At all times the behaviour of a public employee shall be in such a way as not to discredit his or her position and not to reflect adversely on the public service.
18. Public employees shall be expected to give full support to the Government of the day regardless of which political party or parties are in office. When implementing Government policy, public employees’ own values and beliefs shall not take precedence over those explicit or implicit in Government policy.
19. Public employees shall not harass or discriminate in work practices on the ground of sex, marital status, pregnancy, age, race, colour, nationality, physical or intellectual impairment, sexual preference, or religious, political or other convictions / allegiances when dealing with their colleagues and members of the public.
20. Public employees have a duty to report to a senior employee any unethical behaviour or wrongdoing by any other public employee during the course of his or her duties.

E. Fairness and Equity

21. Issues or cases being considered by public employees shall be dealt with consistently, promptly and fairly. This involves dealing with matters in accordance with approved procedures, without discrimination on any grounds. There is an obligation to treat each issue reasonably and with a view to meeting the principles of natural justice.
22. When using any discretionary powers public employees shall ensure that they take all relevant facts into consideration and have regard to the particular merits of each case.

F. Use of Official Information

23. A public employee shall only disclose official information or documents acquired in the course of his or her employment when required to do so by law, in the course of duty, or when proper authority has been given. In such cases, comments made by public employees shall be confined to factual information and shall not express opinion on official policy or practice.
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24. A public employee as defined in article 2 of the Public Administration Act shall not accept employment in the private sector if he will be placed in a position to make use of “insider information” if such information came to his knowledge as a direct result of his public employment.

G. Use of Official Facilities and Equipment

25. It is expected that public employees shall:
(a) be efficient and economical in the use and management of public resources;
(b) be scrupulous in their use of public property and services and not permit their abuse by others.
26. Official facilities and equipment shall not be used for private purposes unless prior official permission has been given.

H. Outside Employment and Termination

27. The prior approval of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry concerned or the Chairperson/Chief Executive Officer is required before public employees may engage in any form of business or employment outside their official duties.
28. In all cases when outside employment is considered, public employees shall give their public sector employment first consideration and avoid situations which could give rise to, or the appearance of, a conflict of interest. In particular, they must consider whether the company or organisation concerned is in, or entering into, a contractual relationship with the Government, whether its primary purpose is to lobby government organisations or members of Parliament, or whether it is in a regulatory relationship with the organisation.
29. Former public employees shall ensure that they do not accept employment or engage in activities which may cast doubts on their own integrity or that of the organisation in which they were previously employed or of the Public Service generally.

I. Political Participation and Comment

30. It is of the greatest importance that public confidence in the impartiality of the public administration shall not be impaired in any way. Public employees need to ensure that their participation in political activities does not bring them into conflict with their primary duty to serve the Government of the day. This is important in order to maintain ministerial and public trust in the impartiality of the advice given, and actions taken, by public employees.
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31. Likewise public employees need to ensure that the spirit of paragraph 30 hereof is respected whenever they are asked to make a public comment. Public comment includes public speaking engagements, comments on radio and television and expressing views in letters to the newspapers or in books, journals or notices or where it might be expected that the publication or circulation of the comment will spread to the community at large.
32. Determining what is appropriate in any particular case will depend on the extent of the participation of the individual, the nature of the issue, the position held by the individual and existing regulations within the organisation concerned.
33. If a public employee becomes aware that a potential conflict, whether real or apparent, has arisen or is likely to arise, the public employee shall immediately inform the head of his or her organisation.
34. If a conflict of interest does arise, the public employee may have to stop participating in political activity or withdraw from areas of his or her duties giving rise to the conflict of interest.

J. Sanctions

35. Sanctions may be applied if public employees are involved in breaches of this Code of Ethics.
36. The sanctions applied shall depend on the seriousness and nature of the breaches and may entail formal disciplinary and/or criminal action as applicable.
37. Whenever appropriate, counselling by a supervisor or member of senior staff may also be given.
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SECOND SCHEDULE DEPARTMENTS

(Article 8)

Part I

Departments other than those not subject to ministerial control

Department Head of department

Other offices with statutory powers

Equivalent title at law

(article 10)

Function of the department

Benefit Fraud and Investigation Directorate

Director (Benefit Fraud and Investigation)

— Director responsible for the Benefit Fraud and Investigation Directorate

To investigate fraud by individuals receiving benefits and allowances payable under the Social Security Act

Cabinet Office Secretary to

Cabinet

— — To support the workings of

Cabinet

Citizenship and Expatriate Affairs Department

Director (Citizenship and Expatriate Affairs)

— — To administer the provisions of the law on Maltese citizenship, and to issue residence permits and employment licences

Civil Aviation

Department

Director General

(Civil Aviation)

— Director of Civil Aviation To regulate civil aviation

Department of Civil Protection

Director (Civil

Protection)

— Director of Civil Protection To provide fire-fighting and rescue services and take protective action against natural, industrial and other emergencies

Commerce

Division

Director General

(Commerce)

Comptroller of Industrial

Property

To monitor and provide assistance to small

Director of Trade

enterprises and craft

industries, and to regulate

Director of Industry

intellectual property and trade

Consumer and Competition Division

Director General (Consumer and Competition Division)

Director of Consumer

Affairs

Public officer heading the

Office for Fair Competition

To safeguard common interests and promote competitive market practices

Department of

Contracts

Director General

(Contracts)

Head of the Department of

Contracts

To regulate, monitor, manage and approve contracts issued by Government Departments

Correctional

Services

Director

(Correctional

Director of Correctional

Services

To securely detain offenders while providing

Department

Services)

Director of Probation

Services

rehabilitation services to

help them reintegrate into society

C 97

Department Head of department

Other offices with statutory powers

Equivalent title at law

(article 10)

Function of the department

Courts of Justice Division

Director General

(Courts)

Director (Civil Courts and Civil

Tribunals, Malta)

Registrar of Courts

Director, Civil Courts and

Tribunals

Registrar, Civil Courts and

Tribunals

To support and facilitate the administration of justice

Director (Criminal Courts and Criminal Tribunals, Malta)

Registrar, Criminal Courts and Tribunals

Director (Gozo Courts and Tribunals)

Director, Gozo Courts and

Tribunals

Registrar, Gozo Courts and

Tribunals

Customs

Division

Director General

(Customs)

— Comptroller of Customs

Collector of Customs

To collect customs and excise duties and curb illegal imports while facilitating trade

Economic

Policy Division

Director General (Economic Policy)

— — To provide expert advice and assistance to Government in the formulation of economic policy and the management of economic activity

Education

Division

Director General

(Education)

— Director of Education To assure the education of all Maltese students of compulsory education age and beyond, and to encourage and support life- long learning

Examinations

Department

Director

(Examinations)

— Registrar of Examinations To administer local and overseas examinations

Government

Printing Press

Director (Printing

Press)

— — To print Government documents

Government Property Division

Director General (Government Property)

Director (Land) Commissioner of Land

To promote the effective and profitable use of government owned immovable property

C 98

Department Head of department

Other offices with statutory powers

Equivalent title at law

(article 10)

Function of the department

Health

Division

Director General

(Health)

Director (Elderly and Community Services)

Chief Government Medical

Officer

Superintendent of Public

Health

Director responsible for the Department of the Elderly and Community Services

To regulate and ensure the availability of comprehensive health care and to promote public health

Housing Construction and Maintenance Department

Director (Housing Construction and Maintenance)

— — To manage the construction of housing units developed by the Housing Authority and to maintain

Government-owned residential premises

Department of Industrial and Employment Relations

Director (Industrial and Employment Relations)

— Director responsible for employment and industrial relations

Registrar of Trade Unions

To protect the interests of parties in employment contracts and to contribute towards stable industrial relations

Department of

Information

Director

(Information)

— Press Registrar To provide the public with up-to-date, comprehensive and meaningful information on Government policies, services and activities, and

on matters which may be of public interest

Inland Revenue

Division

Director General

(Inland Revenue)

— Commissioner of Inland

Revenue

To administer fiscal legislation in relation to income and other taxes

Land and

Public Registry

Director General (Land and Public Registry)

Director (Land

Registry)

Director (Public Registry)

Land Registrar

Director of the Public

Registry

Marriage Registrar

To cater for property registration and hypothecation, civil status registration, the registration of notarial deeds and other judicial acts, and related matters including the issue of passports

Director (Civil

Registration)

Passport Officer

C 99

Department Head of department

Other offices with statutory powers

Equivalent title at law

(article 10)

Function of the department

Libraries

Department

Director

(Libraries)

— Librarian To ensure the collection

and conservation of Malta’s documentary heritage, and to provide library material for education, information, research and leisure purposes

Local Government Department

Director (Local

Government)

— Director responsible for

Local Councils

To support and monitor the activities of Local Councils

Management and Personnel Office

Director General (Management and Personnel Office)

— — To provide a framework that would enable ministries and departments to manage their human resources in the most effective manner

Malta Police

Force

Commissioner of

Police

— Principal Immigration

Officer

To preserve peace and order, to detect and investigate offences, and to prosecute offenders; to control immigration into Malta

Office of the Notary to Government

Chief Notary to

Government

— — To prepare, draft and publish notarial deeds to which the government is a party and to conserve notarial acts according to law

Oil Exploration

Department

Director (Oil

Exploration)

— — To manage the process of oil exploration in Malta’s continental shelf

Planning and Priorities Coordination Division

Director General (Planning and Priorities Coordination)

To manage and co-ordinate the use of EU funds and funds from other funding protocols or arrangements

Rural Affairs and Paying Agency Division

Director General (Rural Affairs) and Head of Paying Agency

To promote and develop farming and regulate the upkeep of public gardens and to manage income support for food producers

Director

(Agriculture)

Director of Agriculture

Director (Plant

Health)

Director of the Department responsible for plant health

C 100

Department Head of department

Other offices with statutory powers

Equivalent title at law

(article 10)

Function of the department

Services

Division

Director General

(Services)

— — To provide ancillary building projects services, manufacturing services, public cleansing services and a regulatory framework for the building

construction industry

Social Housing

Department

Director (Social

Housing)

— Director of Social Housing To provide adequate and suitable alternative accommodation to those in need

Department of

Social Security

Director (Social

Security)

— — To administer the social security (contributory and non-contributory) scheme and provide timely financial assistance and other social benefits,

pensions and allowances to eligible applicants

Social Welfare Standards Department

Director (Social Welfare Standards)

— Director of the Department responsible for social welfare

To regulate the welfare sector and ensure that the providers of social welfare services comply with set standards

Staff Development Organisation

Director (Staff Development Organisation)

— — To develop the skills and abilities of public officers and disseminate good management practices through training

Tax Compliance Unit

Director General (Tax Compliance Unit)

— — To curb tax evasion

Treasury Director General

(Treasury)

— Accountant

General

To implement a standard accounting system throughout Government departments, and to supervise, monitor and report on all Government financial transactions

VAT Department

Director General

(VAT)

— Commissioner of Value

Added Tax

Director of Customs and

Excise Tax

To ensure that all persons performing an economic activity against a consideration duly register under the VAT Act, and collect dues

C 101

Department Head of department

Other offices with statutory powers

Equivalent title at law

(article 10)

Function of the department

Veterinary Affairs and Fisheries Division

Director General (Veterinary Affairs and Fisheries)

— Director General, Veterinary Services

Director of Veterinary

Services

Director of Fisheries

Director responsible for fisheries

To safeguard public health through assurance of livestock health and food safety and to regulate the fishing industry and contribute to the conservation of fish stocks

Works Division Director General

(Works)

— Director of Public Works

Superintendent of Public

Works

To design, plan and carry out public infrastructure works and projects

C 102

Part II

Departments not subject to ministerial control

Department Head of department Other offices with statutory powers

Equivalent title at law

(article 10)

Function

Office of the Clerk to the House

Clerk to the House of

Representatives

— Clerk of the House of

Representatives

To provide administrative support to the House of Representatives

Electoral Office Chief Electoral

Commissioner

— — To support the Electoral Commission in the exercise of its functions

Internal Audit and Investigations Directorate

Director (Internal Audit and Investigations)

— Director, Internal Audit and Investigations Directorate

To conduct internal audits and investigations under the Internal Audit and

Financial Investigations

Act

Office of the

President

Secretary to the

Presidency

— — To support the President in the fulfilment of his constitutional duties

Public Service Commission Secretariat

Secretary, Public

Service Commission

— Secretary to the

Commission

To support the Public Service Commission in the exercise of its functions

C 103

THIRD SCHEDULE GRADES

(Article 27)

Salary Scale 1

Attorney General

Officer in Grade 1

Salary Scale 2

Commissioner of Police

Officer in Grade 2

Salary Scale 3

Ambassador

Deputy Attorney General Deputy Commissioner of Police Director (Clinical)

Officer in Grade 3

Salary Scale 4

Assistant Attorney General Assistant Commissioner of Police Chief Electoral Commissioner Chief Notary to Government Consultant

Officer in Grade 4

Senior Counsellor

Salary Scale 5

Assistant Director of Education

Assistant Director, Pharmaceutical Services

Assistant Registrar

Chief Architect & Civil Engineer

Chief Curator

Chief Economics Officer

Chief Engineer

Chief Inspector of Customs

Chief Psychologist

Chief Quantity Surveyor

Chief Scientific Officer

Deputy Director, Dept of Civil Protection Deputy Director, Institute of Tourism Studies

First Counsellor

Librarian

Manager, Health Inspectorate

Officer in Grade 5

Salary Scale 5 Continued Principal Information Officer Principal Medical Officer Principal Veterinary Officer Project Manager (IT)

Senior Clerk Assistant

Senior Counsel Senior Registrar Sports Officer II

Superintendent of Police

Salary Scale 6

Clerk Assistant

Counsel

Education Officer

General Practitioner

Head of Building & Restoration

Head of School

Head of Trade School

Internal Audit Manager

Manager, Dental Hygiene Services Manager, Dental Technology Services Manager, Medical Laboratory Technology Services

Manager, Midwifery Services

Manager, Nursing Services

Manager, Occupational Therapy Services Manager, Office of Co-operatives Manager, Physiotherapy Services Manager, Podology Services

Manager, Radiography Services

(Diagnostic)

Manager, Radiography Services

(Therapeutic)

Manager, Speech Therapy Services Principal Economics Officer Principal Environment Officer Principal Health Promotion Officer

Principal Inspector (Health & Safety)

Principal Pharmacist Principal Probation Officer Principal Public Cleansing Officer Principal Scientific Officer

C 104

Salary Scale 6 Continued

Principal Social Worker

Principal Trading Standards Officer

Registrar

Senior Architect & Civil Engineer

Senior Engineer Senior Legal Officer Senior Medical Officer Senior Psychologist Senior Quantity Surveyor Senior Veterinary Officer

Salary Scale 7

Assistant Head of School Assistant Head of Trade School Chief Assistance and Rescue Officer Chief Printer

Counsellor

Curator

Departmental Midwifery Officer Departmental Nursing Manager Head, Care Centre

Medical Officer (GP)

Operations Manager

Principal Agricultural Officer Principal, Agricultural College Principal Veterinary Support Officer School Counsellor

Senior Information Officer

Senior Inspector of Customs Senior Internal Auditor Senior Notary

Senior Pharmacist

Senior Principal

Senior Systems Analyst (IT) Subject Co-ordinator Trade/Subject Co-ordinator Trade/School Counsellor

Salary Scale 8

Architect & Civil Engineer

Dental Surgeon Inspector of Police Internal Auditor II Legal Officer Medical Officer

Meteorological Officer

Midwifery Officer

Nursing Officer

Principal Health Inspector

Principal Paramedic

Salary Scale 8 Continued

Psychologist

Senior Assistant Librarian Senior Co-Operatives Officer Senior Economics Officer Senior Environment Inspector

Senior Health Promotion Officer

Senior House Officer

Senior Inspector (Health & Safety) Senior Probation Officer

Senior Scientific Officer

Senior Social Worker

Senior Statistics and Research Officer Senior Trading Standards Officer Veterinary Officer

Salary Scale 9

Assistant Chief Printer

Assistant Principal Health Inspector Assistant Principal Paramedic Cultural Organiser

Deputy Midwifery Officer Deputy Nursing Officer Disablement Resettlement Officer Engineer

First Secretary

House Surgeon (Dentistry) Houseman

Inspector of Customs

Instructor

Junior Architect & Civil Engineer

Junior Legal Officer Junior Veterinary Officer Manager, Security Services Notary

Notary to Government (Gozo) Officer i/c Operations (IT) Operations Officer

Pharmacist

Principal Agricultural Foreman Principal ECG Technician Principal Pharmacy Technician Principal Technical Officer Public Cleansing Officer

Public Relations Officer

Quantity Surveyor

Senior Agricultural Officer

Senior Consul

Senior Legal Procurator

Senior Veterinary Support Officer

Station Officer

C 105

Salary Scale 9 Continued

Sports Officer I Systems Analyst (IT) Teacher

Salary Scale 10

Advocate for Legal Aid

Assistant Curator

Assistant Head, Care Centre

Assistant Librarian Chief Marshal Committee Clerk

Co-operatives Officer Economics Officer Environment Officer Health Promotion Officer Information Officer Internal Auditor I

Junior Engineer Legal Procurator Principal

Principal Fisheries Officer

Scientific Officer

Second Secretary

Senior Health Inspector Senior Paramedic Sergeant Major

Social Worker

Statistician

Statistics and Research Officer

Trading Standards Officer

Salary Scale 11

Assistant Principal

Assistant Cultural Organiser Court Recorder in Charge Duty Management Officer Inspector (Printing Press)

Leading Assistance and Rescue Officer

Main Inspector

Officer in Grade 11

Photographer in Charge Principal Security Officer Programmer II (IT)

Senior Agricultural Foreman

Senior Correctional Officer Senior ECG Technician Senior Fisheries Officer Senior Foreman

Senior Marshal

Salary Scale 11 Continued

Senior Operator (IT)

Senior Pharmacy Technician Senior Public Cleansing Foreman Senior Technical Officer

Sergeant

Salary Scale 12

Agricultural Foreman Agricultural Officer Chief Weigher

Consul

Customs Officer Environment Inspector Facilitator

Foreman

Health Inspector

Inspector (Health & Safety) Library Officer

Midwife

Museums Officer Paramedic Probation Officer

Public Cleansing Foreman Quantity Surveyor's Assistant Senior Care Worker

Senior Printer

Senior Restorer Staff Nurse Technical Officer

Trainee Internal Auditor

Veterinary Support Officer

Salary Scale 13

Assistant Agricultural Foreman

Assistant Foreman

Assistant Technical Officer Communications Officer Computer Operator (IT) ECG Technician

Enrolled Nurse Instructor of Braille Mail Officer Marshal

Meteorological Assistant

Officer i/c Minor Staff Pharmacy Technician Security Officer

Senior Photographer

Senior Weigher

C 106

Salary Scale 14

Assistance and Rescue Officer Assistant Veterinary Support Officer Constable

Correctional Officer

Executive Officer Fisheries Officer Library Assistant Officer in Grade 14

Restorer

Senior Clerk

Senior Customs Assistant

Senior Postperson Senior Technician Senior Tradesman Social Support Worker

Salary Scale 15

Kindergarten Assistant Nursing Aide Paramedic Aide Photographer

Senior Court Recorder Senior Messenger Technician

Usher

Salary Scale 16

Airfield Operator

Airport Attendant

Airport Office Despatcher

Care Worker Chaplain Clerk

Communicator Custodian and Guide Customs Assistant Guard

Health Assistant Postperson Printer

Security Guard Supervisor Tradesman

Warden (Environment)

Weigher

Other Industrial Grades

Armourer

Art/Graphic Technician

Bookbinder

Salary Scale 16 (Other Industrial

Grades) Continued

Butcher Ceramist Construction Diver Cook

Equipment Cover Manufacturer

Farmer

Gardener

Hallmarker of Gold and Silver Articles

Hospital Orderly

Jeweller

Marbler

Meter Reader

Postmortem and Mortuary Attendant

Repairer of Records

Rigger Silversmith Timekeeper

Salary Scale 17

Assistant Care worker Court Messenger Court Recorder

Industrial Grades Group IV Ambulance Driver Barber/Hairdresser

Heavy Plant Driver Laboratory Operator Seamstress

Senior Operative

Vulcaniser

Salary Scale 18

Messenger

Ward Clerical Assistant

Industrial Grades Group III

Boiler Attendant Customs Auxiliary Dairy Operative II Deliveryman

Fuel Pump Attendant

Grave Digger Library Attendant Lighthouse Keeper Motor Transport Driver

Operational Support Worker

Operative

Porter

C 107

Salary Scale 18 (Industrial Grades

Group III) Continued Runway Painter Quarryman

Stamper

Salary Scale 19

Industrial Grades Group II

General Hand

Health Attendant (Public Cleansing) Hospital Auxiliary

Seaman II Warden

Salary Scale 20

Industrial Grades Group I

Charwoman

Health Attendant (Public Convenience) Labourer

Labourer (ex-Impressed Driver) Watchman

C 108

FOURTH SCHEDULE AGENCIES

(Article 36)

Agency Agency function

Management Efficiency

Unit

To support public sector change initiatives through the provision of consultancy advice

Office of the Attorney

General

To support the Attorney General in his role as chief legal adviser to the Government and chief prosecuting officer

Objects and Reasons

The objects of this Bill are to affirm the values of public administration, to provide for their application throughout the public sector, and to provide for the organisation and management thereof.


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