Micah tells state enterprises to perform

PUBLIC Enterprises caretaker minister Ben Micah said yesterday that state-owned enterprises must improve their performances to lift the quality of life in the country.
The minister met with the management of the Independent Public Business Corporation and heads of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Port Moresby yesterday to familiarise them with Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s plans and emphasised the need for improved levels of service delivery to the people.
“We have five years in which to make a difference to people’s quality of life – not just in Port Moresby but in every corner of the nation,” Micah said.
“I expect IPBC and SOEs to lift their performance levels to meet the demands of the new government.
“Voters are entitled to see tangible results from their taxes and from the fees charged by SOEs. I am here to see that they get results.”
Micah, who was a former head of the privatisation commission, the forerunner to IPBC, said little had been achieved in the 10 years since then.
“Services to the people have declined while prices have risen.
“Our infrastructure is falling apart. SOEs, which provide our most critical services and infrastructure, are in no better shape,” he said.
“Over a long period of time, they have not been given adequate funding by the government. They have not been shown decisive leadership and their management capacity and technical skills have gone backwards.”
Micah said there had been no cohesive strategy for delivering quality, reliable and affordable services and infrastructure.
He said SOEs and other state agencies had been operating in isolation from each other.
“I want to change that,” he said. “I want to bring as wide a range of state instrumentalities and agencies as possible together under the one roof,” he said.
“By making sure everyone is pulling together under the direction of the public enterprises ministry, I am sure we can achieve results that otherwise would not have been possible.”
Micah said he would also be looking closely at the structure of SOEs and how they implement projects.
“I will examine any and every alternative – including privatisation, public-private partnerships, outsourcing, contracting, anything – to get services moving and critical infrastructure built and operating.”