AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Saturday called for openness and expertise exchange among state agencies in order to eliminate barriers between government apparatuses and improve the quality of work.
Speaking at the second Government Leaders Forum, he underlined the need for all institutions to cooperate with the King Abdullah II Award for Excellence in Government Performance and Transparency to implement its concepts.
Ensour noted that the new civil service bylaw, which came into force this year, will contribute to addressing challenges facing government agencies, especially the bloated employment structure, as studies show that there are more than 20 employees doing the job of one in some institutions.
"The government apparatus is bloated and needs to be streamlined and strengthened," he said, calling for a return to the "old, strong and more effective system" of public administration.
"We need an efficient administrative apparatus," the premier said.
Outlining the main features of the new civil service system, he said all appointments will be made via annual contracts, which guarantee that only eligible civil servants will get to keep their jobs.
The new regulations also take job security into consideration, Ensour noted, adding that only "balanced" decisions would be adopted in that respect to avoid unfair treatment of employees by directors of public institutions.
He urged civil servants to shun "unjustified delays" in serving the public, which, he said, is "a matter that cannot be accepted under any pretext".
The premier also criticised some decision makers' indecisiveness for fear of being accused of corruption.
"The blind fear of corruption is worse than the actual acts of graft," he warned, adding that the "people want a fair and firm state.”
"Every Jordanian is insulted when someone bullies the state," he said, vowing zero tolerance towards corruption or negligence and noting that "gone is the era of blackmail".
