By K. NANCOO-RUSSELL

Freeport News Reporter

krystal@nasguard.com

The slate of activities scheduled for the 11th Annual Public Service Week was announced yesterday by officials, who say the events are aimed at highlighting the efforts of public officers.

The theme for the week is "The Public Service - Building Bridges for the Future by providing Quality Customer Service," and Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Department of Public Service Donald McCartney explained that the activities will kick-off with a church service on Saturday, September 18 at 11:00 a.m. at the Shiloh Seventh-Day Adventist Church. The following Saturday, a Steak Out will be held at the Freeport Post Office from 12-6 p.m.

A Bahamian Art and Craft Exhibit, which will showcase the artistic abilities of public officers, both present and retired, will be on display in the foyer of the Post Office from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. between September 27 and October 1.

The annual Appreciation Luncheon for long-serving retired public officers is slated for Thursday, September 30, at the Our Lucaya Resort from 12.30 - 2.30 p.m. while a day trip to Sweetings Cay has been planned for the honorees and their families on Saturday October 2.

This year, 22 persons, whose years of service were given in various government agencies including the Police Force, the Post Office and the Public Hospitals Authority, met the criterion for special recognition. They would have served for 25-years or more and would have retired between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010.

"I think it is important to recognize the work of people everywhere and that includes officers within the public service but one of the things I want public officers to understand is that it is important that you recognize your own importance first, and do not depend on others to recognize you," he said.

"It is good and it is wonderful when people outside of yourself recognize your work, but it's even more wonderful when you understand and appreciate that what you do is important to the running of this country."

The public service is a part of the governance of the country, he continued, which facilitates the work of the government, and when governments change, it is the public service that is "steady at the wheel" keeping things going until the new government is in place. For far too long, he said, public officers in The Bahamas have not recognized themselves as being important to that process of governance.

Acknowledging that there are many negative things said about the public service, McCarttney said he knows that there are many officers who go beyond the call of duty and perform their jobs in a diligent manner. "The challenges facing public officers are numerous. I think you recognize that there's been a downturn in the economy worldwide and the Baha-mas is no exception and of course one of the big challenges I think for public officers is the fact that they've had their promotions put on hold, which is understood and I think they've been very good about it, increments have been put on hold and again public officers have risen to the challenge," he said. "I have not seen or heard of any repercussions from public officers because the government has had to take certain measures to ensure that we're all stabilized within the public service."