A memo to that effect released yesterday by the Ministry of Public Service, Administrative Reforms, Policy Coordination and Delivery is as follows:
ENFORCEMENT OF BIOMETRIC TIME & ATTENDANCE SYSTEM
With reference to an earlier memo issued by the Hon. Secretary General & Head of Civil Service in February 2021 and in response to H. E. the President’s recent clarion call for public servants to report to work punctually and regularly and desist from leaving work before official closing time, all Heads of Department are hereby instructed to rigorously enforce the Biometric Time & Attendance System henceforth by instituting the following measures:
- All MDAs to procure, by end of February, 2023 at the latest, and install a Biometric Time & Attendance System in accordance with the specifications earlier provided by this Office (attached herein for your ease of reference);
- All MDAs to assign a responsible officer, not below the level of a Senior Assistant Secretary for the purpose of analyzing and monitoring the attendance data being generated from the Biometric Time & Attendance System (with the support of ICT Officers);
- The responsible officer should ensure a weekly printout of the report of attendance of staff for the previous week and analyze it according to: staff that have been absent unauthorized; staff that have been habitually late; and, staff that have been leaving work before the official closing time, and provide such report to the Head of the Department; and
- A monthly report of such data should also be shared with the Permanent Secretary, PMO for the purpose of presenting a situational analysis of attendance data of the Civil Service to the Secretary General and Head of the Civil Service.
Heads of Department are reminded that as per General Order 03116 and Civil Service Code of Conduct 6.1.1(7), appropriate disciplinary actions should be taken against those civil servants on accounts of habitual lateness, absenteeism and unauthorized leave of absence. However, we encourage Heads of Department to use weekly analysis from biometric electronic time attendance systems as a management tool to ensure staff compliance and only apply punitive measures as the last resort. Considerations are being made to eventually link the biometric time attendance systems to Government payroll to sanction non-compliance as per the General Orders and Public Service Commission Regulations.
All Permanent Secretaries are urged to transmit this information to their line Departments/Agencies and to strictly observe these guidelines and ensure compliance. Staff of the Inspectorate Unit of PMO will be conducting some routine inspection visits to MDAs on a regular basis to ensure compliance.
