THE head of Tasmania’s state service says an Integrity Commission report into gifts and benefits accepted by public servants goes “too far”.

French champagne, top shelf spirits, a day at the cricket and a questionable trip to Singapore are among inappropriate gifts and benefits for public servants uncovered by the state’s integrity watchdog.

The report tabled in State Parliament was the result of a 12-month investigation dubbed Operation Kilo, the first investigation of its kind in Tasmania.

The investigation was initiated by the Integrity Commission and focused on policies, practices and procedures relating to receiving and declaring gifts in the Tasmanian State Service.

Integrity Commission CEO Dianne Merryfull said the investigation found process failures across departments.

However the head of the State Service, Greg Johannes, said the report went too far when it suggested that coffee could be seen as an inappropriate gift.

“I think you need to take a commonsense approach, it’s important when managing gifts, benefits and hospitality, we still allow for people to have cups of coffee from time to time with each other. I don’t think it’s inappropriate for someone to give a paramedic a box of chocolates because they saved their partner’s life, I’d hate to think we are getting to the stage of ruling out apples for the teacher,” he said.

“My own view is the report has gone too far, when it suggests that taking a cup of coffee from a fellow public servant is inappropriate.”

Ms Merryfull said of particular concern was the presence of gift giving in high-risk areas such as asset management and procurement.

She said it was known from experience interstate that taking gifts could create an environment where public servants could be influenced, or where suppliers and stakeholders perceived they could be influenced.

“This report is not about blaming individual public servants — it is about the system. Agencies are failing their employees, leaving them without the clarity, training and support they need in dealing with gifts and benefits,” Ms Merryfull said.

Premier Will Hodgman said the Government was taking the matters raised in the report seriously, but the Government had full confidence in the public service.