POND ISLAND--Tourism and Economic Affairs Minister Stuart Johnson is the latest minister to call on civil servants to adhere to their oath of confidentiality as government is tackling the constant leak of documents to third parties.
Prime Minister Leona Romeo-Marlin has made the same call more than a month ago.
The leaked documents are often used to distort situations or paint a different scenario aimed a discrediting government or a particular minister, according to government information.
Johnson said in the Council of Ministers press briefing on Wednesday that “a few instances” where persons within his Ministry have engaged in leaking confidential information have been brought to his attention.
“Confidential documents simply must remain confidential,” said Johnson.
While he intends “to ensure transparency within the ministry,” Johnson said he wanted to remind civil servants of the civil servants regulation LMR which governs the conduct of all public servants.
“It is vital that everyone understands the details of the confidentiality clause and the consequences that surround being discovered breaching confidentiality,” he said.
Johnson has instructed the ministry’s acting secretary-general to issue a memo to every department reminding them of their responsibility to adhere to the confidentiality agreement they entered into when they became civil servants.
Johnson has also held an emergency meeting with the department heads during which he emphasised the need to ensure that staffers follow protocols that are in place for everyone’s protection.
