IT is widely acknowledged that the Papua New Guinean public service, since independence, has failed to realise the purpose for which it was established.
While its size, role, consumption of national budget, and activities have grown over the years, making it the largest employer in the formal sector, it has failed to execute Government policies effectively and deliver goods and services to the bulk of the population in the rural areas.
Its productivity or output has been minimal.
Several indicators suggest that there have been serious deterioration in the quality of many essential services that are provided by the public service.
The public service is fast becoming a huge monster that will “eat up” most of the nation’s total budget in salaries and benefits, with low productivity.
There have been numerous calls for a massive clean-up in the public service.
When new governments come into power, they promise to clean up the mess but in reality, they have done nothing.
As a result, the administrative malaise has compounded over the years.
Therefore, I don’t think the handing down the huge budget of K8.9 billion will have any impact on the lives ordinary Papua New Guineans.
The development grants annually handed out to 109 electorate through the respective Members of Parliament under various district improvement programmes, for the last 32 years, have not had any significant impact on electoral development.
Such “handouts” from the State are going to be invested in personal networks to secure support for large-scale group enterprises (business, elections, warfare and ceremonial exchange).
Politicians at the end of their term will rely on localised support bases to win elections and thus will devote much of the resources at their disposal to their strongholds, to the exclusion of the wider electorate.
In the words of former prime minister Sir Mekere Mourata, “corruption in PNG is systematic and systemic”.
Systematic because it is planned, organised and cleverly executed to steal large sums of money. And they know how to avoid getting caught.
I regret that 85% of the population lives in rural villages and they don’t know what is happening in the country.
I come from a rural village where Government services are non-existent since independence.

Lucas Kiap
Lae