PNG leaders commit to national growth

The Papua New Guinea Government sees the public service as an obstacle to development and is moving to revamp it. Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and his deputy Dr Puka Temu “could not hide the scant regard they had for the public service” in their Independence Day messages, The National newspaper said.

“This deterioration happened over a period of time and it will take some time to get it back to where it should be,” Sir Michael said. Dr Temu reinforced that the Government was re-examining its institutions and systems as well as the laws “because these were the vehicles through which planned changes would come about”.

“It is no secret that the public service machinery lacked vision and energy. It must be revamped and re-energised to take charge of the long-term plans and to prepare the Government and country to be responsive to the inevitable changes coming in the wake of major resource developments.”

Dr Temu said “PNG is about to enter a major industrialisation phase, and may not necessarily be prepared. It is no secret that the presence of the public service at the district and ward levels is anaemic at best. Focus must be shifted there to build capacity. Funds for development at these levels are available even now, but the capacity to mobilise project implementation is lacking. This is where 80% of Papua New Guineans live.”

Meanwhile, a government-funded National Television Service (NTS) has been launched as an independence gift to the people of PNG. Large screens were set up in Goroka, Mt Hagen, Rabaul and Port Moresby for people to watch the new service of mostly pre-recorded programs. The first program to be screened was Yumi Yet – a documentary about Independence Day celebrations in 1975.

Sir Michael Somare said by the end of the year, the world should know PNG. He teased that many foreigners do not know much about PNG except for Queenslanders and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.