Lupari lays down the law for civil servants

Editorial

IMPLEMENTATION is the message from Governments Chief Secretary Isaac Lupari to all department heads, line agencies, statutory bodies and constitutional offices.
Public service is the engine room of any country and if its stops functioning, whatever plans any Government has will never be achieved.
Regardless of what’s on the calendar, service to the public must be provided unimpeded.
Departmental heads should know what they want to achieve and there should be plans in place to achieve their target with the financial support and resources.
Lupari told department heads this week that the role of the public service is important in service delivery.
That is why the performance and conduct of public servants in and outside the office is important.
Public servants have always been challenged to improve their efficiency and effectiveness.
And it starts from the top. If the head sets the pace, then the rest will fall into line.
We mention here work ethics which refers to a basic set of moral values associated with the way work is done whatever its nature or status. How they perform their task depends on their department’s work ethics.
Honesty, responsibility, discipline and diligence are values we inculcate in children from an early stage, linking these with performance in school and early childhood tasks.
In adult life, these values should translate into hard work, efficiency, discipline and integrity at the workplace.
Most policies are designed and developed in Waigani without fully understanding the challenges and needs of 80 per cent of our people who live in the rural settings of our country.
And when the plans and policies failed, millions of kina is wasted.
The challenge is now on everyone, especially those entrusted to deliver, to not make the same mistake, learn from past experiences and continue to chart and develop a new way of delivering services.
Hardworking and committed, these people contribute to the country’s progress to the best of their ability.
Another area that should be improved on is the punctuality and productivity of public servants.
The habit of starting work after 8am, frequent absenteeism, unnecessary breaks, bad habits and culture and abusing one position for personal benefits must stop.
While talking about the general trend of poor work ethics, we should not lose sight of the fact that there also good workers in the public service.
Departmental heads need to listen, look around, and open their eyes and minds to what the community goes through every day.
Only if one goes out and experiences the hardship then you will feel and understand the people’s cry for service.
The Government wants to know what has been neglected in terms of the programmes that have not been undertaken.
Those in command must crack the whip and make sure those down the line who are supposed to work, do what they are supposed to do.
A government is accountable for the decisions and laws affecting its citizens; an individual has accountability for acts and behaviours.
The underlying message is that public servants have a duty to serve the people and they must work honestly to earn their pay.