One of the internal circulars of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan:
Dear colleagues.
The title of civil servant imposes a great responsibility on us. To serve the state means to serve the people. We are public servants. We are accountable to the people and live on their taxes.
What does this mean in our daily work?
We must not use our official position for personal interests.
The power and the opportunities connected with it bring temptations. Sometimes we want to help our loved ones get some kind of benefits, for example, promote their entering the civil service, help win the public procurement competition, etc.
This is unacceptable.
Our fellow citizens (taxpayers – employers) did not hire us to work and pay our wages so that we could use the power for our own good and for the benefit of our loved ones.
We must not use state property for our own personal interests.
For example, we must not use a company car for personal trips. We must not use the car for our family members’ travel. In any taxpayer it causes a storm of indignation when a car with the number of the state body approaches a beauty salon or a shop, and the spouse or children of the official comes out of it. And people have the right to such indignation, because this car is bought and used for taxpayers’ money. Who gave us the right to use it for the benefit of our family? No one!
We must not use office phones for personal conversations on long-distance and cellular communications, because in this case we are spending taxpayers’ money. Practically, we steal from our fellow citizens.
We must not be inaccessible for citizens.
It is believed that meeting an official of any level is impossible or very difficult. It shouldn’t be this way. We are public servants. How did it happen that the master cannot get an appointment with his servant? We are obliged to accept any citizen. The only limitation is that we are busy. In this case, we must schedule a meeting with any citizen who wishes to meet us.
At the same time, of course, we must not fulfill the requests or demands of citizens, if they contradict the legislation and the rights of other citizens. But to be heard is the sacred right of every citizen.
We must not act arrogant with citizens.
Nobody gave us the right to place ourselves above citizens. We must remember that at any time, each of us can find ourselves outside the civil service and become an ordinary citizen. How will we feel when we meet state officials? Do we want them to talk to us in an arrogant and scornful manner?
We must not be distracted from work in the workplace.
No employer would like a situation when his employee is managing his personal affairs at the workplace. So why do we think citizens will like it when we, their servants, drink tea during working hours, discuss the things we bought or football matches? This is absolutely unacceptable! We must not, in the presence of outsiders, conduct any personal conversations between ourselves and by telephone. This is a manifestation of disrespect and bad manners.
COMMENTS