East Sepik focuses on key areas

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Wednesday October 23rd, 2013

 By GABRIEL FITO

EAST Sepik provincial administrator Richard Kombo says the majority of public servants in the province are hard working.

He was responding to comments by Governor Sir Michael Somare that public servants at the provincial headquarters were under-performing.

Kombo said more than 90% of public servants in the province were hard working. 

He admitted that there were a few rogue officers who were being paid but not working.

Sir Michael had claimed that there were no public servants in the office when he and the Attorney-General Kerenga Kua visited the provincial headquarters last Thursday morning.

He said the public service machinery in the province was non-existent and unproductive as they were not implementing government policies and delivering basic government services to the people of East Sepik.

But Kombo denied this.

“We are working. The public service machinery under my leadership is now working on certain major priorities over others to ensure services are delivered to the people,” he said.

“Priorities like roads and bridges, jetties, wharves and other major infrastructure development should be developed first to set the pace for the economic sector, SMEs and other developments to take off.”

He said the office that Sir Michael and Kua toured last Thursday was the old administration building which they had vacated recently. They have moved to Kreer Heights.

“This building houses the provincial assembly and is managed by the assembly clerk,” he said.

“The administration only has the deputy provincial administrator for LLG affairs in that building but unfortunately he led a provincial delegation to Jayapura last week and was not available when Sir Michael and Kua toured the building.”