“Not starting is not an option” – Minister urges Local Govt staff to take initiative

Local Government and Regional Development Minister Priya Manickchand has urged Ministry staff to take initiative, work collaboratively and pursue solutions to improve service delivery, emphasising that progress should not be delayed while waiting for ideal conditions.

Addressing staff at a management meeting on Monday, Manickchand said the Ministry had significant opportunities to improve its work and encouraged employees to adopt a more proactive approach to their responsibilities.
“There’s so much we can do from this Ministry that we mightn’t have done before,” she told staff, urging them to remain motivated and committed to their work.
The Minister also highlighted the importance of collaboration across departments, noting that practical solutions could emerge from discussions with colleagues who work in different areas.
“Talk to each other too, because sometimes you’re talking to somebody who has nothing to do with sanitation, and you get the solution from that person, just from hearing their practical experience in their home,” she said.
Manickchand said improving the Ministry’s performance would require a change in attitude, while maintaining a strong focus on getting the work done.
She also cautioned against using the absence of ideal working conditions as a reason to delay projects or initiatives, pointing out that progress could be made with the resources currently available.
“We can’t wait for perfection too. I gotta get a perfect office. I gotta get a perfect number of staff,” she said.
The Minister acknowledged that the Ministry was working with what it had, but expressed confidence in its ability to deliver results.
She encouraged staff to begin initiatives, assess their progress and make improvements along the way rather than postpone action until every requirement was in place.
“You start, and you push, and you perfect as you go along, and you try to make it work, because not starting is not an option,” Manickchand said.