 Greetings to everyone, and especially the public servants in all government ministries and departments in St. Lucia. Every year, the governmental St. Lucia joins the United Nations in celebrating the value and virtue of public services, especially the contribution of public service in the process of development, recognizes the work of public servants, and encourages young people to pursue careers in the public sector. Public Service Day is recognized every year on June 23, and this year it is being celebrated under the theme public sector modernization, repositioning and rebranding the public service to improve service delivery. The chosen theme signals government's commitment to providing high-quality, effective and efficient service to the public. As part of this commitment, the governmental St. Lucia, through the Department of Public Service, has embarked on a number of initiatives which are geared towards improving its legislative framework, promoting the use of technology, fostering greater networks with other government ministries, and improving transparency through greater communication and public relations. In that regard, the government has recommenced discussions on the Public Service Management Bill and regulations to rebrand the public service by setting standards, values, principles, as well as a code of conduct and ethics which will guide the behavior and actions of public officers. The bill and accompanying regulations, which were first drafted in 2007, are expected to replace the staff orders for the Public Service of St. Lucia, which has been in existence for approximately 40 years. As part of modernizing the public service, the Department of the Public Service has implemented several projects to promote greater use of technology, to advance a culture of innovation in the public service that provides a high-level return to communities. Through the digital platform, the government has placed 30 services online and is hoping to place an additional 100 services online within the next 18 months. The government will distribute 450 laptops to public officers at grade 15 and above to allow for greater flexibility in the delivery of services. Our modernization efforts have also focused on ensuring access to broadband and cutting-edge web technologies, which will further support the government's policy of digital inclusion and e-participation. As Minister for the Public Service, I pledge to provide strong and effective leadership to help change the culture of the public service through capacity building by improving the legislation, human resource management, training, technology, professionalism, and service delivery to all solutions. As a firm believer that our human resource is our greatest asset, I encourage public servants to continue to actively participate in the process of rebranding and reshaping the public service. We must therefore embrace change, focus on our performance management framework that will support greater accountability and provide the leadership that is necessary to influence this new culture for the future. Given the significance of this occasion, the government of St. Lucia has decided not only to recognize Public Service Day, but to extend celebrations to Public Service Week from June 18th to the 23rd, 2023. Some of the main activities for the week include a panel discussion on the theme with former permanent and cabinet secretaries will be aired on NTN. June 24th, job shadowing for the youth, students from Form 3 and 4 will be assigned to government agencies to be exposed to the work being done and to encourage young persons to pursue a career in the public service. All staff will also be appreciated and recognized for their service to country. The week of activities will culminate on June 23rd, Public Service Day, with a church service at the minor basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Castries, followed by a fair at the Derrick Walcott Square. The fair will take place from 12 noon to 4 pm, showcasing all government ministries and their new initiatives. Public officers are encouraged to wear orange in the observance of the day and the general public is invited to wear a touch of orange in solidarity with public officers. I encourage all public officers to participate in the activities which have been planned in your honor. I call on all sentlosions to join the celebrations as we continue to strive to provide you with high quality service at all levels of government. On behalf of the Prime Minister, Hon. Philip J. Pierre and Cabinet of Ministers, I take this opportunity to thank you for your service to the government and the people of St. Lucia. And I wish you a happy Public Service Day 2023.