The General Orders for the Public Service of The Gambia

In these General Orders, the following terms: “Government” “Cabinet” “Minister” “Permanent Secretary” “The Public Service” Have the meanings assigned to them by the Constitution.

“Public Service” means, subject to the provisions of section 173 of the Constitution, the Civil Service of the Government of The Gambia;

While all Officers are subject to General Orders, some Officers, for example members of the Police Force, are also subject to statutory control. In such cases, the provisions of the statute take precedence over General Orders.

The following Categories shall be used where necessary: Category V, Officers in Grades 11 and above Category IV, Officers in Grades 7 to 10 Category III, Officers in Grades 4 to 6 Category II, Officers in Grades 2 and 3 Category I, Officers in Grade 1

All appointments and promotions, with the exceptions listed in the Constitution of The Gambia, will be made, in writing, in accordance with the Act and Regulations. All appointments from Grade one (1) to two (2) shall be delegated by the Public Service Commission to Heads of Departments, Ministries, and Agencies subject to adherence to prescribed criteria stipulated in the specified rule books.

The Public Service Commission shall monitor the exercise of delegated authority from time to time to ensure that the established guidelines and criteria are followed to prevent abuses, anomalies and subjectivity. The minimum qualifications for appointment to any post in the Public Service are stipulated in the Scheme of Service applicable to that post.

The procedure for recommending appointments and promotions are contained in the Act, Regulations and Schemes of Service. All such recommendations must take merit into account.

Candidates for appointment are required to submit to the appointing authority:-

Candidates for appointment may be required to attend an interview as

part of the selection process, and/or take a written test as part of the selection procedure. Candidates selected for appointment will be required to produce a certificate of medical fitness, signed by a Government Medical Officer and a certificate of character by the police, before being offered an appointment. All new employees upon assumption of duty should be provided with all the legal and regulatory instruments of the Public Service and shall be required the themselves with responsibility of individual Ministries and Departments to provide the required instruments. to familiarize It shall be them.

All new employees shall be required to undergo inter alia an intensive induction course on the legal and regulatory instruments of the Civil Service and any other relevant subjects. All appointments shall be subject to a probationary period of one year. Confirmation of appointment shall be subject to a satisfactory appraisal report on the Officer’s performance and conduct.

Such reports shall be submitted at the end of the probationary period to the Public Service Commission through the Permanent Secretary, PMO. After confirmation of appointment, the Officer’s performance and conduct shall be annually evaluated through the regular completion of an appropriate performance appraisal instrument which shall be submitted by the Head of Department or Permanent Secretary to the Permanent Secretary, Personnel Management Office, for appropriate action. To expedite the process of appointment, promotion and discipline of teachers, the Public Service Commission shall delegate to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, authority to make appointments and promotions and enforce discipline of teachers in Grades 6-8.

This function shall be performed through a properly constituted committee. The Public Service Commission shall supervise and monitor the exercise of the delegated authority to avoid anomaly and unfair treatment.

No Officer may be confirmed in his/her appointment while he/she is on sick leave.

Every letter of appointment or promotion shall specify:- (a) the precise designation of the post to which appointment or promotion is being made; (b) the terms of the appointment or promotion, whether it is temporary or permanent, pensionable or not, and the period of notice required to terminate it; (c) the grade applicable to the post; (d) the salary payable; (e) the effective date of the appointment or promotion; (f) the length of probation or trial period to be served; (g) a statement that the appointment will not take effect unless it is accepted in writing; (h) in the case of a permanent appointment, that the appointment will not be effective until after the appointee has passed a medical examination and provide certificate of character from the Police.

Appointing authorities will ensure that all Officers appointed by them sign a Declaration of Secrecy. Appointing authorities will ensure that all appointments, confirmations, promotions, dismissals and transfer of Public Officers follow the procedures laid down by the Personnel Management Office.

The incremental date will be the effective date of appointment or promotion as the case may be. Subject to the approval of the Commission, an outstanding Officer may receive more than one increment within his/her grade in one year.

Longevity increments, equal to 10% of one’s basic salary, will be paid to an Officer who stagnates at the top of his/her scale. The first increment will be paid two years after the date the Officer reaches the top of the scale, and will be paid after each stagnation period of five years thereafter. Longevity increments are pensionable emoluments.

Increments will be paid automatically by the Directorate of National Treasury unless notification has been received that the increment has been deferred.

An Officer’s salary on promotion will be:- (i) the minimum of the new scale if the new scale of the salary he/she was receiving before promotion was less than the minimum of the scale to which he/she has been promoted; (ii) the next incremental point in the scale above his/her salary before promotion if his/her salary before promotion was the same or greater than the minimum of his/her new scale.

No Officer will be eligible for promotion unless his/her appointment has been confirmed.

Temporary appointments shall be subject to the following conditions:- (a) the appointment shall be terminable by either party on giving one month’s notice or by payment of one month’s salary in lieu of notice; (b) remuneration will be fixed at the rate which would be payable in respect of permanent appointment; (c) the same disciplinary regulations which apply to permanent appointments (d) a person given a temporary appointment will not be entitled to any of the benefits attached to a permanent appointment, except that, should twelve months continuous service, paid annual leave may be granted at the rate applicable to the post. temporary appointment exceed the (e) Upon satisfactory completion of fixed contract appointment, an Officer will be entitled to twenty-five percent (25%) contract gratuity at a rate of aggregate emoluments as approved by the contract authorities. However, month-to-month relevant appointment will not attract any gratuity.

Officers, who retire on voluntary basis, will not benefit from fixed contracts except under exceptional circumstances to be determined by the Public Service Commission. No contract appointment shall exceed a maximum period of six years.

SECTION II: Acting appointments

Acting appointments may only be recommended to fill duty posts in Grade 7 and above.

Where a Head of Department considers an acting appointment necessary, he/she will notify the Permanent Secretary, P.M.O. using the standard form, at least one week before the vacancy occurs. The Permanent Secretary, P.M.O. will forward the notification, together with his/her comments, to the Commission.

Where any Officer has acted continuously in a post for six months, the Head of Department will inform the Permanent Secretary, P.M.O. why the post has not been filled substantively. Details of acting appointments in Grade 10 and above will be published in the Gambia Gazette.

An acting allowance equal to the salary differential between the basic salary of an Officer acting in the higher post and the minimum basic salary of the higher office will be paid during the period of the acting appointment together with any allowance attached to the post. However, the allowance will only be payable if the Officer acts for a period of one month or more.

Where the Commission has agreed that no suitable Officer is available to act in a post, and decides that an Officer should undertake part of the duties and responsibilities of such a post for a period of one month or, application on the standard form may be made by the Head of the Department to the Permanent Secretary, P.M.O. for permission to pay the Officer a charge allowance equivalent to the percentage of the duties he/she is required to carry out. Similar arrangements shall apply when an Officer is required to carry out the duties of a post higher than his/her own, but no acting appointment is made for statutory reasons.

SECTION III: Resignation

An Officer may resign his/her appointment at any time by giving one month notice in writing, or on payment of a month’s salary in lieu of notice, except that no resignation shall be made or accepted without the approval of the Commission while an Officer is suspended or interdicted, or while he/she is the subject of disciplinary proceedings, or during an investigation which might lead to him/her becoming the subject of disciplinary proceedings. SECTION IV: Retirements

On the first of December each year, the Permanent Secretary, P.M.O, will provide Heads of Departments with the names of Officers due to retire during the next calendar year, who will then take action required during the following months. It is the duty of an Officer to notify his/her Head of Department twelve months before the date of his/her intended retirement.

When an Officer becomes entitled to a pension or gratuity, his/her Head is responsible for preparing the pensions form. The of Department calculation of pension or gratuity will be made by the Director of National Treasury and certified by the Auditor General; payment of a pension will be authorized by the Pensions Authority.

Should a Head of Department has reason to recommend a reduced pension or gratuity, his/her recommendation must accompany the pensions form, specifying the amount of reduction recommended, and the reasons thereof, before the preparation of pension papers.

Every Officer in a permanent and pensionable post is required to retire statutorily on reaching the age of 60. An Officer who has reached the age of 45 may apply to retire voluntarily by giving six months’ notice in writing or the payment of six months’ salary in lieu of notice of his/her intention to do so. A female Officer may retire on marriage grounds if one month’s notice is served.

The Pensions Authority may require an Officer to retire from the Public Service at any time after he/she reaches the age of 45. In such cases, the Officer will be given six months’ notice in writing. Any leave entitlement must be taken before retirement.

Any leave which may be due to an Officer on the day of retirement and which has not been duly banked will be forfeited. Heads of Departments must draw the attention of each Officer in the Department who is about to retire to the legal requirement that, if the Officer wishes to opt for a reduced pension and gratuity instead of a full pension, he/she must exercise the option before the date of his/her retirement. Heads of Departments have no authority to provide a written reference for an Officer leaving the service.

However, An Officer who is applying for other employment may quote his/her Head of Department as a referee, who may then provide a prospective employer with such details of the Officer’s service, character and ability as he/she may require.

At the completion of his/her service, an Officer who has been employed on permanent and pensionable or contract terms shall be entitled to a Certificate of Service on the prescribed form. SECTION V: Secondment and Transfers

Secondment and transfer opportunities will be availed to Officers in grade 6 and above provided they have served for a period of three years and are confirmed in their regular appointments. All secondments or transfers shall be the subject of request made by an individual and shall be subject to PSC’s approval through the PS-PMO however, Permanent Secretaries will require the endorsement of the Secretary General.

Upon retirement, the transferred Officer shall have his/her retirement benefits computed using grade and point on which he/she left the Civil Service.

A seconded Officer will return to the Service on the same grade which he/she enjoyed prior to his/her secondment. However, incremental points shall be awarded annually.

An Officer being seconded or transferred to an organization will be required to take all leave to which he/she is entitled before the secondment or transfer becomes effective. Any such leave which is not taken will be forfeited.

Each secondment shall be for a specific period and no secondment or secondments in respect of an individual Officer shall exceed a total, in the aggregate, of more than six years during the whole of his/her Public Service career. Seconded Officers are also required to make a monthly contribution of twenty-five percent (25%) of their Civil Service basic salary to the Directorate of National Treasury.

One month before the period of secondment of an Officer is due to end, the Officer is expected to inform the Government of his/her intention or otherwise to apply for the extension of his/her secondment. In the absence of such information, the secondment will be ended and the Officer will be expected to return to the Public Service.

Subject to the conditions in the preceding orders and any other conditions the P.S.C. may authorise the it considers necessary, secondment or transfer of an Officer.

The holder of any office is required to discharge any duties upon which Government wishes to employ him/her, and may be stationed wherever his/her presence is considered necessary. The Inspector General of Police, the Registrar of the Supreme Court and Clerks of Subordinate Courts will report to the Permanent Secretary, P.M.O. and to the Head of the Department concerned, any case in which a public Officer is charged with a criminal offence, and the result of any case arising from such charge.

Where such notification is made, the Head of Department will take action required by the Act and Regulations. No Officer, unless authorised by his/her Head of Department, the Permanent Secretary or the Secretary General may communicate, either directly or indirectly to the press, or to any person who does not belong to his/her own Department, any information obtained in the course of official duty.

Every Officer is entitled to his/her own political views, and may, if qualified, vote at elections. He/she may become a member of a political party or organization, but may not accept any office, whether paid or unpaid, permanent or temporary, in any political party or organization, nor may he/she make speeches, join in demonstrations or in any other way for any political party, organization, person or policy, nor shall he/she be required to do so in the course of his/her duties. indicate publicly his/her support

An Officer wishing to belong to an organization which has both political and other objectives and is uncertain whether the organization is a political organization within the meaning of G.O. 03104, should seek advice from the Public Service Commission.

If a person who has obtained leave of absence in accordance with G.O.

retire from his/her Office in the Public Service and, if he/she fails to do so, he/she shall be removed from such Office. It is the duty of the Registrar of the Supreme Court, Clerks of Subordinate Courts and Commissioner of Stamp Duties to report to the appropriate Head of Department if a Public Officer becomes a judgement debtor or has acknowledged any debt in writing. Copies of such reports shall be sent to the Permanent Secretary, P.M.O. and to the Secretary of the Commission.

It is the duty of any Officer to whom the Junior Public Officers Relief Act (Cap.99) applies, to take advantage of the provisions of the Act in any action instituted against him/her in which the Act may be pleaded; failure to do so render him/her liable to disciplinary proceedings. An Officer will be liable to disciplinary proceedings if he/she is subject to serious pecuniary embarrassment. A Head of Department who becomes aware of such a situation will take the disciplinary action required by the Regulations.

The Regulations governing inventions by Public Officers are contained in Appendix A.) Public Officers shall not institute legal proceedings in connection with matters arising out of their public duties without the authority of the Secretary General. Heads of Departments who intend to spend longer than one day’s absence from their office must notify the Permanent Secretary of their Ministry of the expected duration of their absence, their probable whereabouts on each day of absence and the purpose for which they will be absent. Permanent Secretaries must submit similar reports of their own intended absences to the Secretary General.

Public Officers shall not be employed for any private purpose during official working hours. Public Officers shall, on appointment to the Public Service, disclose to the Secretary General particulars of any investment or shareholdings which he/she may possess in any public particulars of any investment or shareholdings which he/she may possess in any public or private company carrying on business in The Gambia, or any other direct or indirect interest in such company. If the Secretary General decides that the Officer’s private affairs might be brought into real or apparent conflict with his/her public duties or in any way influence him/her in the discharge of his/her duties, the Officer shall, to such extent as the Secretary General directs, divest himself/herself of such investments or interests.

An Officer shall not directly or indirectly acquire investments (in financial assets or otherwise), or interests of the nature mentioned in G.O. 03115 without the expressed permission of the Secretary General. An Officer who is absent from duty without permission shall, in addition to any other action which may be taken, have one day’s pay deducted from the next salary payment due to him/her for each day’s absence. The Head of Department will take the action required by this Order, informing the Director of National Treasury, Auditor General and Permanent Secretary, P.M.O.

is elected to a Political Office, he/she shall immediately resign or

In this Chapter:- “annual leave” means leave with full salary; “leave year” means a period of twelve calendar months, from 1st January each year;

Leave Entitlements shall be taken by all Civil Servants on an annual basis. Failure to abide by this requirement automatically leads to forfeiture of earned leave, unless deferment is considered to be in the interest of the Public Service, and is permitted by the Heads of Department. All Departments and Ministries shall maintain Annual Leave Rosters for all staff, which shall be strictly adhered to.

Sick leave will be regarded as duty for the purposes of leave earning. Study leave and maternity leave do not count as duty and are not leave earning. Annual leave will be authorized by a Permanent Secretary, Head of Department or Supervisor as appropriate. Records of annual leave will be maintained in accordance with instructions issued by the Permanent Secretary; P.M.O. Permanent Secretaries wishing to take annual leave must obtain the agreement of the Secretary General.

Annual leave entitlements are:- GRADE 10 and above 7 to 9 3 to 6 1 and 2 WORKING DAYS LEAVE PER LEAVE YEAR

An Officer is required to take his/her annual leave during the leave year in which it is being earned; except that with the permission of his/her Supervisor, he/she may carry forward up to 5 days to the next leave year. Any annual leave entitlement in excess of 5 days which has not been taken at the end of any leave year will be forfeited.

With the permission of his/her supervisor, an Officer may, in any year be allowed to take up to 5 days annual leave in advance of the leave year in which such leave would be earned.

In cases of emergency, a supervisor may authorize up to 7 working days special leave with pay if he/she is satisfied that the circumstances justify the Officer’s absence. Such leave will be deducted from the Officer’s annual leave entitlement.

An Officer granted study leave for a period longer than six months must

take the annual leave due to him/her before proceeding on study leave; if the exigencies of the Public Service prelude such arrangements, the Commission may authorize the Officer to carry forward his/her annual leave until after his/her return from study leave. An Officer who is required to visit another country on duty may, with the approval of his/her Permanent Secretary or Head of Department as appropriate, take all or part of any annual leave to which he/she is entitled to in that country. Any approval given under this Order will include the dates when the leave may be taken.

No per diem or other form of allowances will be payable in respect of any leave granted under this Order. An Officer failing to return to duty following a period of leave will be regarded as being on unpaid leave and may, depending on the circumstances of the case, be subject to disciplinary action. Any female employee of the Civil Service who is pregnant shall consult a Medical Officer for a report on her expected date of confinement and on production of a satisfactory medical certificate, shall be entitled to a maternity leave with full salary for a period of six months which will commence one month before the expected date of confinement shown on the medical certificate.

Any male employee whose spouse has delivered shall be entitled to a paternity leave with full salary for a period of ten working days and such leave shall not count against an employee’s annual leave entitlement Sick leave on full pay may be granted for an initial period of one month, if at the end of that period, the medical practitioner attending the Officer considers that he/she is still unfit to resume duty, a further period of sick leave, not exceeding one month may be authorised. If, at the end of this second period of sick leave, the Officer is still unable to resume duty, the matter will be referred to the Director of Health Services for his/her advice and recommendations, in particular as to whether a Medical Board should be convened under the provisions of Chapter 8.

Where an Officer has been granted sick leave on full pay for a period or periods aggregating six month or more during any period of twelve months, any further sick leave granted to him/her will be on half pay. No Officer will be granted an aggregate of more than twelve months sick leave in any four years. In the case of Officers certified as suffering from tuberculosis, the periods of sick leave on full pay and sick leave on half pay authorised by this Order shall be nine months and twelve months respectively.

Sick leave in excess of twelve months in any period of four years will be without salary and will not be reckoned for purposes of increment or pension. An Officer suffering from tuberculosis may however be allowed twenty-one months sick leave in any four years period before this Order takes effect. An Officer entitled to annual leave will be required to take that leave at the end of any period of sick leave on full pay before being granted sick leave on half-pay.

Sick leave granted under this Chapter will be regarded as duty for the purposes of leave earning. Leave of absence may be granted for a period of up to 1 (one) year renewable for a maximum period not exceeding 4 (four) years, after the expiry of which the Officer is required to resume duties.

Basic car allowance, which is payable to Officers in Grade 9 and above, shall be paid while an Officer owns and maintains a private car which is road worthy and available for his/her use. Basic car allowance will be paid to an Officer provided that he/she produces a certificate confirming that he/she has owned and maintained the vehicle during the relevant period.

The Permanent Secretary, Personnel Management Office, shall be responsible for the issue of all circulars approved by Cabinet related to payment and revision of all categories of allowances.

Basic car allowance shall cease to be payable with effect from:- (a) the date on which the Officer ceases to own a private transport: (b) the day after the date on which the Officer leaves The Gambia for a period intended to exceed three months or, being already absent from The Gambia, becomes aware that his/her absence is likely to exceed three months; (c) the day after the date on which the Officer has been provided with Government transport; (d) three months after a car in respect of which basic allowance is paid is necessarily laid up for repairs.

Residential and transport allowances shall be separately paid at rates transport approved by Government. The rates of residential and allowances are as follows: (a) Residential allowance: Grade 10 and above D700 (b) Transport allowance Grades 1-9 inclusive D500 per month D350 per month D250 per month (a) Motor cycle (b) Bicycle However, these rates should be periodically reviewed to be in line with the consumer price index.

Claims for the payment of residential allowance and basic car allowance must be certified by the Head of Department or Permanent Secretary as appropriate. A Head of Department may, subject to the approval of the Ministry of Finance, grant a motor cycle or bicycle allowance to a member of his/her department owning such a machine and who is not in receipt of a basic car allowance.

All allowances viz: Residential, Transport, Overseas, Basic Car, etc. shall be paid at rates periodically approved by Government. An Officer who is in receipt of an allowance, payable under G.O. 05101 or G.O. 05108, shall not be provided with Government transport.

SECTION II: Travelling Facilities

“Travelling facilities” means the facilities provided at Government expense for a Public Officer travelling on duty within The Gambia while not using his/her own transport. If Government transport is not available for an Officer travelling on duty, his/her Head of Department may authorize alternative transport at the commercial rate generally applicable.

A Public Officer will be entitled to transport when:- (a) travelling on duty or on annual leave; (b) proceeding to receive medical or dental treatment; (c) proceeding to sit for an approved examination.

A Public Officer is entitled to free transport to and from his/her station, for his/her spouse and up to three children under the age of 18 years, when:- (a) he/she assumes duty or proceeds on posting (b) proceeding on or returning from annual leave

An Officer in Category III or below whose supervisor certifies that he/she should seek medical advice, and who is stationed in a place where there is no Government Medical Officer, will be allowed free transport to the nearest place where there is a Government Medical Officer.

Heads of Departments may authorize free transport for the repatriation within The Gambia of the family of a deceased Officer and the deceased Officer’s personal effects.

Where provision is not otherwise made under General Orders, Heads of Departments may authorize free transport to his/her home for an Officer who is invalid/incapacitated from the Service, or who retires in circumstances in which he/she may be granted a pension, gratuity or annual allowance. This authorization may include free transport for the Officer’s personal effects and the members of the Officer’s family residing with him/her. SECTION III: Travelling Allowances

“Travelling Allowance” means an allowance granted to an Officer travelling on duty within The Gambia for one or more nights. Travelling allowance is granted to enable an Officer to travel in reasonable comfort.

An Officer is not entitled to travelling allowance:- (a) when he/she is provided with boarding and lodging at Government expense; (b) in respect of any period in excess of ten consecutive days during which he/she remains at one place

The rate of travelling allowance shall be D650.00 per night

An Officer posted to another station which involves a change of residence is entitled to a single payment of the appropriate relocation allowance equal to 1/60th of his/her annual basic salary.

Officers posted from one region to another are entitled to the appropriate monthly provincial allowances as follows: Zone 1 (including North Bank Region, 12% of basic salary Lower River Region and West Coast Region but excluding Greater Banjul Area, kombo North, Kombo South And Kombo Central) Zone 2 (including Upper River Region and 15% of basic salary Central River Region)

An Officer may be required by Government to visit institutions, attend conferences, or undergo training in any country. A scholarship or training award may be granted to enable an Officer to obtain a professional, technical or academic qualification other than University degrees, diploma, or equivalent qualifications. Scholarships and training awards shall only be granted for courses approved by the Personnel Management Office and Office of the President.

The selection of Officers for Scholarship and Training Awards will be the responsibility of the following: (a) In the case of Scholarships, Education’s Scholarship Advisory Committees; the Ministry of Basic & Higher (b) In all other cases, the Public Service Commission in consultation with the Head of Department and Permanent Secretary, Personnel Management Office SECTION II: Conditions of scholarships and training awards

The conditions to be applied to scholarship or training awards will be those conditions determined by the donor which are accepted by the Government.

When an Officer is required by Government to undergo training outside The Gambia, he/she will continue to receive his/her salary and allowances approved by the Permanent Secretary, Personnel Management Office.

A married Officer required to undergo training outside The Gambia for

two years or more shall, subject to the terms of the scholarship or training award, be entitled, on application, to a passage for his/her spouse to and from the country in which the training takes place. An Officer granted a scholarship or training award tenable outside The Gambia, who continues to receive his/her salary, may allocate part of his/her salary, to his/her dependents.

In such cases the Officer must notify the Director of National Treasury of the sum to be allocated, together with the names and addresses of persons to whom the sum should be paid. The Public Service Commission in consultation with the Permanent Secretary, Personnel Management Office, shall require a Public Officer who is the recipient of a scholarship or is provided with training at Government expense, to enter into a Surety Bond covering the cost of such scholarship or training, any expenses made in relation to the training and salary paid during the period the Officer was away.

SECTION III: Allowances payable to Officers Attending Courses, Conferences and on Official Visits

Attendance at conferences will not normally exceed two months and visits, not more than one month.

When an Officer is required to undergo a course, other than in pursuance of a scholarship or training award, and the cost of the course is being met by The Gambia Government, he/she is entitled to an allowance determined by the Permanent Secretary, P.M.O.

Officers required to attend a conference outside The Gambia whose boarding and lodging are not provided by the host shall be entitled to rates of allowances periodically prescribed by the Personnel Management Office.

An Officer in Category III or below attached to a Government Ministry, Department or similar body outside The Gambia will be entitled to the following: (a) Salary (b) a grant before departure to cover incidental expenses; (c) free return passage; (d) such other allowances as may be deemed appropriate by the Permanent Secretary, P.M.O.

An Officer required to undergo training overseas for a continuous period of more than four weeks and less than one year, is entitled to travel grant or stipend. The level of allowances shall be determined by the Permanent Secretary, P.M.O.

A Governor in charge of a Region is entitled to a monthly duty allowance at the rate determined by Government. Where he/she is in post for part of a year, the allowance will be paid pro rata.

An Officer under the Ministry of Health posted to the Tuberculosis Sanatorium, who is employed on duties which bring him into contact with patients’ threat, is entitled to the prescribed monthly allowance for the duration of such posting to be determined by PMO in consultation with the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and Office of the President. Where an Officer serving on permanent and pensionable terms dies as a result of injuries received while travelling by air, or on duty, compensation will be paid to his/her estate in accordance with the Pensions Act.

In addition, a further amount will be paid to the estate as determined by Government.

In this Chapter, the following terms:

SECTION II : Medical Boards

Where an Officer has been attended to, by a Medical Officer for an illness connected with the convening of a Medical Board, that medical Officer shall provide the Board with a full report of the case. The report and recommendations of a Medical Board are confidential and will be sent, in triplicate, to the Director of Health Services, who will either approve the Board’s findings or convene a further Board of which he/she shall be a member.

When the Director of Health Services has approved a report of a Medical Board, he/she will return the original of the report and send the two copies to the Permanent Secretary, P.M.O. together with his/her them who will forward one of recommendations to the Commission. Neither the Permanent Secretary, P.M.O, nor the Commission may vary the findings of a Medical Board.

No copies of reports additional to those authorized by this Section shall be provided.

A Public Officer may, with the written approval of the Secretary General accept paid work in addition to his/her public duties. Such work shall not in any circumstances, be carried out during official working hours or be such as to prejudice or compromise his/her official duties. No Government resources are to be used in carrying out such work. SECTION II : MEDICAL OFFICERS AND DENTISTS

No Medical Officer or Dentist will be allowed to engage in private practice. Medical Officers and Dentists will be paid the following allowances in lieu of private practice;

Grades 11 and 12 D6000.00 per annum Grade 10 D5000.00 per annum Grade 9 D4000.00 per annum Grade 8 D3000.00 per annum However, these allowances can be reviewed by PMO in consultation with the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and Office of the President regularly to reflect the market going rate. No Medical Officer may authorise the issue of drugs from Government stores to a private patient.

Such drugs may be supplied to pharmacies in accordance with Financial Instructions. No Medical Officer or Dentist may enter into an arrangement to provide treatments for employees of a private undertaking unless the Director of Health Services certifies the following: - that the arrangement would not be detrimental to the Officer’s established duties

In this Chapter, the following terms:-

the submission of requisition form within twenty-four hours. Applications for river transport should be made to the Managing Director, Gambia Ports Authority/Gambia Public Transport Co-operation.

All launches, except those of The Gambia Police and Armed Forces, are under the control of the Managing Director, Gambia Ports Authority. No permanent allocation of launches will be made to any Department or Officer.

It is the responsibility of each Head of Department to provide the Managing Director, Gambia Ports Authority and Gambia Public Transport Co-operation (GPTC) with a list of all Officers in his/her Department to whom authority has been delegated to sign transport requisitions, and to inform them of any changes which occur in the list. Government transport will be charged out to user Departments at the rates set out in the Gambia Ports Authority and Gambia Public Transport Corporation Invoices submitted by the Gambia Ports Authority will be settled by the Permanent Secretary concerned. (GPTC) tariffs.

Gambia Ports Authority and any other public transport corporation vessels or vehicles are controlled by, and are the responsibility of their authorities.

The following rules govern free transport facilities granted in this chapter in respect of river transport other than launches:-

The following rules govern the use of vehicular transport:-

Government transport shall not be hired to public Officers for private use, or to any other person. To facilitate strict control and the monitoring of Government vehicles, regular completion of vehicle log sheets should be done and signed by the appropriate Officer after every official journey.

An Officer in Category IV or above posted to a Region will normally be allocated a Government quarter. If a quarter is not available Government may rent a quarter for him/her or provide him/her with rent allowance. An Officer who is not entitled to a Government quarter, but who is nevertheless given permission to occupy one, will be required to pay 30% of his/her basic salary as rent.

An Officer in Category III or below, residing in Banjul and posted to a Region, or residing outside Banjul and Posted to Banjul, or residing in a Region and posted to a station to which he/she cannot travel easily from his/her home will be entitled to occupy a Government quarter rent free. If he/she cannot be provided with a quarter, he/she will be entitled to a rent allowance to be determined by the Permanent Secretary, PMO. Rent allowance will not, however, be payable to an Officer in receipt of a residence allowance.

Before rent allowance can be paid, the Officer concerned must provide evidence of normal residence in the place from which he/she is being posted, signed by a Governor or Head of Department.

The responsibility for allocating Government quarters shall be as follows: a. in Banjul and the Chairperson, Committee on Office and Residential Accommodations (CORA) the Greater Banjul Areas, b. in a Region:

No construction work on, or structural alteration to a quarter,

may be carried out unless specific approval has first been obtained from CORA. An Officer disregarding this Order will bear the cost of restoring the building to its original condition. An Officer occupying a Government quarter must give at least one month notice of his/her intention to vacate the quarter to the Chairperson, CORA? An Officer vacating a Government quarter must make arrangements to check and sign the inventory detailed by the Chairperson, CORA together with an Officer.

Should he/she fail to do so, the inventory as checked by an Officer detailed by the Chairperson will be accepted in all respects. If an inventory reveals loss or damage, which in the opinion of the Chairperson, CORA, is due to unfair wear or tear, he/she will claim the value of the loss or damage from the Officer who occupied the quarter. If the Officer disputes the claim, the matter will be referred to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport, Works, Construction and Infrastructure whose decision will be final.

An Officer travelling on duty who requires quarters to be arranged for him/her at any place must give at least three days’ notice of his/her needs to the Officer responsible for allocating the quarters. An Officer travelling on duty who occupies a Government quarter will be responsible for keeping it in good order and leaving it in a clean condition. Government does not accept liability for the loss of an Officer’s personal property from a Government quarter either when he/she is travelling or as a result of burglary, fire or any other cause.

An up-to-date inventory of all assets and equipment in Government buildings should be maintained and regularly checked by Accounting Officers.

A properly constituted Board of Survey should be periodically convened by the Ministry of Finance, to dispose of property not needed, through Public Auction and other methods. SECTION II: Government buildings

For purposes of this section, buildings” does not include quarters. the term “Government All Government buildings, including the compounds in which they are situated, will be allocated to a specific Ministry or Department by the Secretary General. Each Permanent Secretary or Head of Department will be responsible for ensuring that all Government buildings, together with their contents which have been allocated to his/her Ministry/Department, are properly maintained and kept in a good state of repair. A Permanent Secretary or Head of Department may, in turn allocate a building or part of a building to a specific Officer by so informing him, in writing.

The Officer, to whom a building or part of a building has been allocated, will therefore, be responsible for it, together with the inventory of its contents. He /She will also be responsible for ensuring that the compound wherein the building is situated is kept clean and in good state of repair. Every Government Ministry, Department and Agency shall maintain an up-to-date Assets Inventory List incorporating all furniture and other material Government equipment, resources.

The Chairperson, CORA shall every year, arrange an inspection of all Government properties, assets, equipment, furniture and other material resources and submit a copy of the findings to the Secretary General.

Inventories will be checked and signed:- a. by both Officers concerned in a change of inventory holder;

b. annually, or whenever a Board of Survey is held. Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments are responsible for informing Ministry of Transport, Works, Construction and Infrastructure at once about repairs which are necessary to any building or contents thereof which have been allocated to them.

Where the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport, Works, Construction and Infrastructure considers that damage to a Government building or its contents, or the loss of such contents are due to unfair wear and tear, he/she shall claim from the responsible Officer the cost of making good the damage or replacing the contents; if the Officer disputes the claim, the matter will be referred to the Secretary General, whose decision shall be final. to or Alterations the removal of any appliance from Government buildings shall only be undertaken with the specific approval of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Construction Infrastructure. An Officer disregarding this Order will be responsible for any costs involved in replacing the appliance and making good any damage caused thereby. and The construction or structural alternation to a Government building shall not be undertaken without the written approval of the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Transport, Works, Construction and Infrastructure and before funds have been specifically provided for the purpose by the Ministry of Finance in cases where the construction or alteration has not been included in the approved estimates.

The definition of Government the Constitution. Ministerial Portfolio is contained in Gazette Notices published from time to time. in is Service matters, including establishment and individual staff matters, are controlled by the Secretary General.

The official channels of communication with any authority outside The Gambia are the Office of the President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The official channel of communication with any Ministry is through to whom all official correspondence shall be addressed. its Permanent Secretary, The official channel of communication between a subordinate Officer through his/her Head of is Department, and all correspondence must be channelled through him/her. and Government The official channel of communication with the Public Service Commission is through the Secretary thereto, to whom all official correspondence should be addressed.

In any matter which involves, or is likely to involve, the Government in legal action, the advice of the Attorney General who is the Government’s Legal Adviser must be sought before any correspondence is sent on the matter in question. An opinion given by a Law Officer shall not be quoted in a communication addressed to a private person.

All correspondence must be couched in courteous terms and be as concise as is consistent with clarity.

As far as possible, every communication shall be confined to a single subject, which shall be concisely stated in the heading. Official correspondence should be addressed to official recipients by the titles of their appointments. SECTION II: Security

Correspondence which has passed between Public Officers, or between members of the public and Public Officers, shall not be divulged to any other member of the public without the expressed permission of the originating authority. An Officer shall not disclose or produce in evidence in a court of law any official document of a confidential nature without the expressed permission of the appropriate Ministry or Department. reports shall be submitted Staff in accordance with instructions issued from time to time by the Permanent Secretary, P.M.O.

An Officer shall not be allowed access to confidential records related to himself/herself. An Officer will not normally be addressed on matters of a personal nature, except where they impinge on his/her status and duty as a Public Officer.

Ministries and Departments are responsible for the safe custody of all documents in their charge and for the observance of current security instructions as laid down from time to time. The attention of all officials required to handle classified documents must be drawn to the Official Secrets Act.

All Public Officers shall swear a Declaration of Secrecy before taking office and any Officer already in post who has not so declared shall be required to make such declaration.

Any Officer who contravenes a Declaration of Secrecy shall be guilty of an offence and shall be subject to disciplinary proceedings. Heads of Departments are required to keep an attendance register which will be signed by Officers on arrival on duty. Officers who persistently arrive on duty late will be subject to disciplinary action. SECTION III: Handing Over

Where an Officer relieves another for any period exceeding one week, the following rules shall apply:

An Officer offered a temporary appointment which provides for a period of notice in excess of one month, and who is not a Gambian National, shall be regarded as being employed on special terms. All Officers appointed on special terms are subject to General Orders, Financial Instructions and the Act and Public Service Regulations; provided that if such special terms contain different conditions, the provisions contained in the special terms shall apply.

Schemes of Service set out the qualifications and levels of experience required for entry into, and promotion within the Ministry, Department class or cadre to which a Scheme has been applied. A Scheme may include, in respect of a particular Ministry, Department class or cadre:- a. conditions and qualifications for appointment; b. duties and standards applicable to individual grades or posts; c. in-service training arrangements; d. promotion criteria; e. provisions covering transfers into and out of the Ministry, Department, class or cadre. The main purposes of Schemes of Service are to provide an effective and efficient Public Service and to ensure that uniform standards are applied to the service. Schemes of Service which have been approved are available at the P.M.O. and those Ministries within which they are being applied and are open to scrutiny by Public Officers. Appendix A (See G.O. 03110) 1. Any Government Officer who has made an invention:- 2. 3.