By HARLYNE JOKU
PRIME Minister James Marape has branded most public servants as ‘complacent and corrupt” although they receive a total of K183.8 million per fortnight in salaries alone from the Department of Finance.
PM Marape made the strong remarks at the launch of the 30-year Human Resource Development Strategic Plan (HRDSP) 2020-2050 on Thursday the 24th of June at the Lamana Hotel conference room.
He asserted that although the public service workforce of 122,000 including the Parliament MPs, staff, judges and magistrates make up only two per cent of the country’s workforce they consume 50 percent of the country’s budget in salaries alone.
He said K200 million is spent annually to function in terms of logistics, transport, fuel etc. which equates to a total K5.2 billion for public service salaries and operations.
“I want this figures to sink in again and again. Public Servants must rise up and lift the bar,” PM Marape challenged.
Public Service Minister and MP for Nuku Joe Sungi who is an experienced former public servant and Provincial Administrator for over a decade also stressed that the public service workforce must change and be performance oriented.
Minister Sungi said the launch of the HRDSP is a milestone long term plan to address the critical issues that have continually impeded on the implementation of government plans and performance of public servants.
“I have always been critical of the conduct of public servants and would like to see changes take place to change the culture that public servants have become accustomed to and think is acceptable.
“Time and time again we hear so many complaints about the public service and non performing public servants, and I think this is the plan that will ensure change is made to improve overall performances in the public service,” Mr Sungi said.
Public Service Secretary Taies Sansan also commented that the Public Service has over the years been at the receiving end of complaints about lack of service delivery due to a number of factors.
“I believe that the way forward to bring about changes is to ensure the public service is responsive and efficient in its service delivery to make drastic turnabout changes for the good of the country.”