The Rural Affairs and the Environment Ministry is the first to make a public call to buy an automatic system for time and attendance management in a bid to improve accountability and good practices of the civil service under its responsibility, The Malta Independent has learnt.

The call is for the supply of a time and attendance biometric identity verifier which the ministry intends to install in all the departments within its remit. The system consists of a palm reader, or similar equipment, which will increase the efficiency of managing time and attendance records of the public service which falls under the ministry’s umbrella.

The move is in line with a collective agreement reached with the unions of the government employees and in conformity with a circular issued by the Office of the Prime Minister dated 28 December 2000.

The collective agreement states that: “The employers and the unions agree to introduce mechanical and/or electronic systems for the purpose of security, recording attendance, salary computation and audit trails. Where such systems are introduced in a particular place of work, all employees therein shall be required to make use of such systems. The employer shall endeavour to introduce these systems in all its places of work by 31 December 2007 but not later than 31 December 2010.”

A similar system is already in place at the Torri San Lucjan offices which are within MRAE’s remit. The system, which applies to both employees and visitors, has proved to be efficient to keep records for security reasons.

Another advantage of the system is that less time is taken to verify manual attendance sheets.

A palm reader is also believed to be in place at the building of the Finance Ministry.

A call for tenders was published in the Government Gazette earlier last month.