Government denies U-turn on decentralisation

THE Government last night denied that a decision to allow departments switch around jobs set for decentralisation was a complete U-turn on previous policy.

The Office of Public Works (OPW), which is in charge of implementing the Government’s decentralisation plan, confirmed for the first time yesterday that each minister could replace agencies earmarked for decentralisation with different agencies or departmental sections. The move is a complete departure from the Government’s own decentralisation plan which specified exactly which agencies and sections were to be decentralised.

Unions claimed it was exactly the opposite of what secretary generals had been telling them for years.