Local Governments currently short of 475 employees
In light of the persistent problems regarding human resources across the nation’s sectors, local government (LG) leaders expressed their concerns and suggestions for addressing these issues. The issue was raised during the ongoing coordination workshop with the LG leaders in Thimphu on July 17, 2024.
In order to address the nation’s human resource issues, a participant in the workshop asked the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) if it might permit graduates with scores of 50 and higher to serve as civil servants and turn contract workers into regular employees.
One LG leader exclaimed, “There are contract employees who have been serving more than five to ten years where I feel that the commission can take them in as a regular employee.”
LG leaders also lamented on administrative and functional issues such as quality of services provided with the shortage of human resources.
“There are various issues on human resource especially in the field of engineers, livestock officers, administrative officers and teachers, amongst others,” said a participant, adding that, he feels all this issue arises because of lack of proper guidelines for those who gets recruited in the civil service.
“For example, a teacher comes and serves for only a month and then later we hear the teacher has resigned, though it has only been few months,” said a concerned participant, calling for proper and stricter guidelines for civil servants.
Meanwhile, responding to the issues raised by the LG leaders, the chairperson of the commission, Tashi Pem said that the commission is working very hard and that the commission will provide sufficient human resource.
Tashi Pem said, “We are very much concerned as much as you (LG leaders) are, and we are here to serve you all at our best, and from the commission side they will produce and provide the best civil servants.”
In the meantime, the human resource officer (HRO) at RCSC, Kuenzang Choden said that it is not possible for the commission to recruit all the graduates who secure 50 and above in the civil service examination. “The commission will recruit regular civil servants with the available slot in the civil service.”
In addition, the HRO said that even if an individual scores 70, the commission will not recruit the individual as that individual will have to be in the merit ranking of the given slot.
Meanwhile, the commission’s Director, Sonam Pelden Thaye said that in order to solve the attrition rate of the civil servants, the commission has allowed the candidates to take multiple times of civil service examination until the age of 35, while the age limit has been set to 45 years for the in-service candidates.
The Director also highlighted on the commission’s protection of seniority if the individual gets recruited in the civil service, while the retirement age for civil servants has increased from 60 to 63 years for executive level, and from 58 to 60 for others.
In addition, Sonam said that the LG leaders can recruit their own employees without consulting the commission in order to address the current issues and challenges in their respective jurisdictions.
For instance, the commission stated few challenges including the changes in the profile of the workforce, meaning, the current generation does not think civil servant as a regular service, wherein they walk in and walk out as and when they feel like to.
The challenges of the commission also includes retaining and attracting talent pool people, the trend of migrating abroad for better opportunity, migration of skilled labor, and the national essential crisis, amongst others.
Meanwhile, there are only 2299 employees in the local government with a shortfall of about 475 employees currently.
By Sherab Dorji, Thimphu
