Revenue Agency in hiring mode

With the formalities of the establishment of the Revenue Agency announced recently by the Minister of Finance, Hon Calle Schlettwein, it now appears that a lot of work beckons on the labour front. Getting into the basics, he recently explained what would happen up until the agency becomes operational from a human resource perspective.
Said Schlettwein, “it should be noted that in our case, we are establishing the Revenue Agency for the purpose of attracting and retaining specialized skills needed to execute the functions of a modern tax administration and realise operational efficiency.”
“To achieve this objective, the Agency will be exempted from civil service laws and [will] adopt processes and acquire systems to achieve operational efficiency. Having this objective in mind, there will not be automatic transfer of personnel to the Agency. That is, all jobs in the Agency shall be treated as new and open to new applications based on the job requirements of the Revenue Agency,” Schlettwein explained.
Continuing, he said, “the recruitment will be sequenced. Immediately after the Law is passed, the Board and the Commissioner will be appointed. The board will assist in the selection and appointment of the Commissioner and Senior Management team through a competitive process.
For the rest of the staff, the first round of recruitment will be conducted internally by giving all the current staff of the Inland Revenue Department and Customs and Excise who meet the requirements the first opportunity to apply for the positions. Once this stage (internal recruitment) is completed, all remaining vacancies will be advertised externally. Whether internal or external, all applicants who are short-listed will be subjected to background and integrity check process for purposes of asset verification and certificate of criminal conduct to determine suitability in the Revenue Agency.”
Said Schlettwein, “In terms of the Public Service rules, staff who did not make it for the Revenue Agency will, in the immediate, remain in the employment of the Ministry of Finance. There will then be alternative options to be followed. Staff near retirement age may opt for early retirement. Some may choose to separate voluntarily. Others may be redeployed within the Public Service on the basis of existing opportunities within the service. We understand that due care needs to be exercised in this process and consultation and communication is required to make this transition as smooth as possible. We aim to ensure that this process is transparent, with a view to address the concerns of our employees.”
“We have noted that at every instance of rolling-out this message three years ago, you have been encouraged to strengthen your qualifying skills and most of you have already completed a number of qualifying courses, in addition to your work experience. That is commendable. Further details regarding the initial staffing and organisational design will be made available in due course, once all exercises have been completed and evaluated accordingly,” he concluded.