In a press conference held at the Office of the Prime Minister of Dominica on October 14, 2026, Thomas Letang, General Secretary of the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) and a sitting member of the Public Service Commission, pushed back against growing public speculation that the Commission is at fault for persistent delays in filling vacant public service positions across the island.
Letang used the briefing to lay out a clear breakdown of the division of responsibilities between the Public Service Commission and the office of the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO), aiming to clear up widespread public misconception around the appointment process. According to Letang, the Public Service Commission does not hold the authority to set or alter the effective start dates for new appointees. Instead, the Commission is legally required to act solely on the recommendations for appointment dates submitted by the CPO, including for roles in the health sector that have recently sparked public concern.
Addressing specific questions around delays affecting doctors nominated and recommended for appointment by the Ministry of Health, Letang emphasized that the Commission never challenges the effective start dates outlined in the recommendations it receives from the CPO. “When the CPO recommends that an appointment take effect from a particular date, we accept that recommendation without any pushback or questioning,” Letang stated. “If we are told by the CPO that a candidate should start their appointment on the 6th, we process that immediately, no questions asked.”
Letang went on to stress that assigning blame for appointment delays to the Public Service Commission is misplaced, given that the body has no decision-making power over when new appointments go into effect. He urged the Dominican public to recognize the clear legal and procedural distinction between the roles of the Public Service Commission and the Chief Personnel Officer, noting that ongoing misunderstanding around this separation of duties has fueled unfair criticism of the Commission. “The Commission should not be held responsible for decisions it has no authority to make,” Letang added. “For the public to have confidence in our public service appointment process, everyone must first understand how that process actually works.”