Government Launches Human Resource Information System

Basseterre, St. Kitts, August 18, 2010 (SKNIS): The march towards e-Government continues in St. Kitts and Nevis with the recent launch of the Human Resource Information System (HRIS).

Prime Minister Honourable Dr. Denzil Douglas clicked the login button to officially activate the system which is an online solution for data entry, tracking payroll, benefits administration and performance record in a more cost effective manner.

“It’s a proud moment for me,” said Honourable Glenn Phillip, the Minister responsible for Technology. “The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis continues to maintain the position that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) do have a role to play in transforming the internal operations of the public service, in addition to providing support for the repositioning efforts of our national society.”

The comments were made at a ceremony held at the National ICT Center to commemorate the official launch of the HRIS, which was designed collaboratively by local technicians, and their counterparts from the Republic of China (Taiwan). Minister Phillip announced that workers at the Human Resource Department will undergo a comprehensive training exercise to manage the new processes.

Resident Ambassador His Excellency Rong Chuan Wu was equally pleased with the system’s activation and the ongoing relationship with the twin-island Federation.

“In St. Kitts, for the last three years … we have successfully launched and implemented eight to nine different systems,” the Taiwanese diplomat remarked, noting that this was the highest level of cooperation among Taiwan’s Caribbean allies.

“In fact the HRIS is one of the most important ones because as Government officials we all know very well it is more difficult to manage human beings than machines. That is why we believe that the HRIS is the locomotive to other e-Government systems,” stated Ambassador Wu.

Prime Minister Douglas thanked the ROC official for partnering in this venture and stressed that the slow processes of past decades are not in line with the need to analyze and present optional routes in a very efficient and desirable manner. He stressed that this system is part of a general civil service upgrade.

“There is the continuing pension reform initiative especially to include non-established working who are now referred to as Government auxiliary employees. There is of course the … revamping of the old general orders, replacing them with the new staff rules and guidelines that are going to be critically important as we make changes to ensure that we are keeping pace with the [developments] taking place around us globally,” the Prime Minister outlined.