Foreigners will not be permitted to work for the civil service on a permanent basis - with few exceptions, according to new Public Service Commission (PSC) Regulations gazetted this week.

The regulations, which came into effect last month, govern procedures and rules for the PSC in filling vacancies, meting out discipline, removing people from office and a range of related matters.

The new rules revoke the Public Service Commission Regulations 1968.

They prohibit the PSC from recommending non-Bermudians to a civil service posting for a term exceeding three years.

But that limit can be changed to five years for “special reasons” and in the case of Police Force appointments.

Non-Bermudian Police Force employees who have worked for at least five consecutive years will be exempt from the restrictions.

People who fail to show up for an interview, provide misleading information, fail to provide required information or canvass members of the Commission, MPs or Senators will be disqualified from being appointed to the civil service.

And all heads of departments are required to submit to the Commission an annual performance report.

The regulations set a six-month probationary period for all appointments exceeding one year - with the exception of appointments to the emergency services and prisons. The Commission also has the power to retire civil servants, on the recommendation of their department heads, for public interest reasons.

It was not immediately clear what new provisions came into being.

Civil service head Stanley Oliver was not available to discuss the regulations in detail. But he did say on VSB radio yesterday that the overall significance was to give department heads more responsibility for discipline and recruitment.