‘Improve service delivery to ensure efficiency’

THE Government must improve service delivery to ensure efficiency in the economy, economist Dr Billy Manoka said.
He said although the foundation for economic growth was laid by the government of Sir Mekere Morauta between 1999 and 2002, inefficiency in service delivery strangled growth in the country.
“And this is one of the major challenges for the Government under its National Strategic Plan (NSP),” he said.
Dr Manoka is an economist and a University of Papua New Guinea lecturer.
He was speaking in Lae last Friday at the close of the first national consultations seminar for the formulation of the trade policy under NSP.
He said that during Sir Mekere’s term as prime minister, the country had enjoyed a period of
economic growth.
“Good governance and stability thrived,” he said, adding, this was a period where the foundation for economic growth was laid.
Dr Manoka also pointed out that under the Eight Millennium Development Goals (MDG), PNG made little or no progress at all.
And a major barrier to this was the service delivery mechanism.“Thus, there is a need to create a more efficient and productive economy,” he said.He said productivity is the key to long term economic growth and development.The Government including businesses and other agencies need to make hard decisions.
And one way is through structural reforms as well as trade reforms, he added.
“Structural reforms will promote efficiency leading to increased productivity,” he said.