For immediate release
MIRAMICHI, New Brunswick, January 25, 2012 – Tilly O’Neill-Gordon, Member of Parliament for Miramichi, on behalf of the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women, announced today an important milestone in the establishment of the Pay Centre of Expertise. The Government of Canada is launching a Request for Information (RFI) regarding the availability of land for sale in the city of Miramichi, New Brunswick.
“The Harper Government continues to move forward with the transformation of its pay administration and the establishment of the Government of Canada Pay Centre of Expertise in the city of Miramichi,” said MP O’Neill-Gordon. “This Request for Information being launched today not only confirms the Government of Canada’s commitment to consolidate pay services, but also our commitment to create hundreds of jobs in the city of Miramichi.”
At this time, Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) is seeking information for the possible purchase of land located in Miramichi for the proposed building that will house the Centre’s full staff complement of 550 employees. A notice for the RFI has just been posted on the Government’s Electronic Tendering Service, MERXTM. Following the RFI, respondents will be contacted and prospective sites will be screened and evaluated by PWGSC by April 2012.
The establishment of the Pay Centre of Expertise will result in the creation of 550 jobs in Miramichi. The Centre is expected to reach its full staff complement by 2015-16, with the first 146 employees being hired in the coming months. This first group of employees will commence work in interim leased office space located in the Miramichi Mall in spring 2012.
-30-
Ce texte est également disponible en français.
For more information, media may contact:
Michelle Bakos
Office of the Honourable Rona Ambrose
819-997-5421
Media Relations
Public Works and Government Services Canada
819-956-2315
Kelley Bruce
A/Regional Manager, Communications
Public Works and Government Services Canada
902-496-5300
PWGSC news releases are also available on our Internet site at http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/medias-media/index-eng.html.
BACKGROUNDER
Pay Centre of Expertise in Miramichi
On August 19, 2010, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the Government of Canada’s modernization of its 40-year-old pay system for public servants and consolidating pay services in a new Centre of Expertise in Miramichi, New Brunswick.
This transformation will ensure the long-term sustainability of the Government of Canada pay administration system and services and contribute to a more effective and efficient public service, offering better value to Canadians. The initiative includes two projects: the Consolidation of Pay Services and the Pay Modernization Projects.
The Consolidation of Pay Services Project will gradually transfer pay administration services to a PWGSC Centre of Expertise from departments using the endorsed Government of Canada Human Resources Management System (PeopleSoft). The establishment of the Centre of Expertise in Miramichi, New Brunswick, will lead to the creation of 550 jobs starting in 2011-12 and reaching its full staff complement by 2015-16.
The first wave of approximately 146 employees will begin work in a leased office space located in the Miramichi Mall in spring 2012.
At this time, Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) is seeking information for the possible purchase of land located in Miramichi, for the proposed building that will house the 550 employees working in the Pay Centre of Expertise. A notice for the Request for Information (RFI) has been posted on the Government’s Electronic Tendering Service, MERXTM. Following the RFI, respondents will be contacted and prospective sites will be screened and evaluated by PWGSC.
The site identification and evaluation process is designed to reduce a list of potential sites to a single property representing the best value for the Government of Canada. The process will ensure that the selected site is viable for the proposed federal facility, while respecting principles of openness, fairness and transparency, and while meeting all technical, social and economic needs.
As a result of the new Pay Centre of Expertise, residents of Miramichi can expect a growth in economy, and increased job opportunities.
