State to close offices

By HELEN TARAWA
GOVERNMENT offices will be closed from Monday Dec 24 to Wednesday Jan 2 for the Christmas and New Year holidays, says acting Department of Personnel Management Secretary Taies Sansan.
The shutdown applies to all departments, provincial administrations and offices of the National Public Service. She is advising heads of departments and provincial administrators to inform their staff members of the dates.
“The heads of other State services and statutory authorities are to take note of the holiday arrangements in the public service and determine the applicability of these arrangements in their own organisations and provided that the essential services are maintained for the government and the public at all times,” she said.
The Government accounts will be closed from Friday this week, December 14.
Monday, December 24, is considered a day off, Tuesday is Christmas, Wednesday is Boxing Day, Thursday December 27, Friday December 28 and Monday December 31 are days off, and Tuesday January 1 is New Year’s Day.
“These paid days off are for the convenience of closing the government offices and not to be treated as accrued leave days,” Sansan said.
“Staff required for work to cater for essential and emergency services and rostered work arrangements will be paid overtime (if eligible) and will be awarded with a paid day off at a future date.”
The National Executive Council has directed that public hospitals, police force, Correctional Services, Defence Force, public utilities and other organisations providing essential and emergency services will not shut down. But they will have their own internal arrangements to cater for the essential and emergency services during the shutdown period.
Staff of the Department of Finance and the Immigration and Citizenship Services Authority will continue to work under the arrangements agreed on.