Gulf public service crippled for 20 years

THE public services machinery in Gulf province has been crippled for the past 20 years due to lack of political and administrative direction, Public Employees Association president Michael Malabag said.
Mr Malabag told reporters in a press conference last Friday after reports reaching his office that there was no public service machinery in place, no government institutions such as health care systems, education, infrastructure and police amongst other vital services that were supposed to exist in a province.
“Gulf province is the hub of the natural liquefied gases (LNG) and given the current situation in the public service machinery, it is total disgrace for a province that produced some of the finest leaders and statesmen of this nation.
“When taking about the so-called Papua New Guinea Vision 2050, it could not become a reality unless such situations like in Kerema are addressed,” he said.
Mr Malabag, who is also the Papua New Guinea Trade Union Congress president, said in order to realise the vision, the Government should review the public service machinery so its vision could be translated to realities.
“And one way of doing this is to build institutional houses for public servants so that they can station themselves and perform their tasks diligently.
“From report here such as the plight of the Kerema hospital and the worker’s conditions, I can see that there is a total dysfunction at the public services machinery
“I don’t blame the public servants but it should be the government at all levels that should be responsible for the break down of the services delivery,” Mr Malabag said.