Welcoming the government’s adoption of its recommendations on restructuring non-ministerial government bodies
AMAN calls for establishing a committee on governance quality in the public sector to supervise appointment of candidates to senior positions
The Coalition for Accountability and Integrity (AMAN) appreciated the Council of Ministers’ decision to review the legal status and examine the restructure of 63 non-ministerial government bodies. While some will be abolished, others will be merged into relevant ministries and institutions with similar powers and roles. AMAN stated that this reflected the same recommendation it has made in its recent study, The Current Content of Non-Ministerial Government Bodies. The objectives of the study intersect with the government efforts and perceptions.
AMAN called on the government to invest in and build on this decision by developing a draft law or a regulation to establish the Committee on Governance Quality in the Public Sector. The committee will examine the appointment of candidates to senior positions (both civil and security), set procedures for competition, and advertise vacancies in the special and higher categories. It will also handle complaints on recruitment for public sector employment, invigorate the role of oversight bodies, and adopt a firm and binding policy to prevent politicisation of public office.
In its letter Prime Minister, Dr. Mohammad Shtayyeh, AMAN commended the government for attaching importance to the remunerations and financial rights of board members of public and private institutions. At the same time, AMAN called for issuing a special regulation on boards of directors, outlining the financial rights of relevant chairs and members in a clear and detailed way. This should contribute to promoting the integrity system, avoid abuse of remuneration processes by public servants, and thwart abuse of power by decision makers who would mandate staff or deprive others from representation on the boards of institutions.
