People prefer to work in cities

THE Government some years back raised the normal retirement age of public servants from 55 to 60.
The compulsory retirement age has also been raised from 60 up to 65.
That was to be fully operational as of last year.
The new retirement age appears to make sense, given improved health and changing lifestyles of elderly people as well as the nation’s demographic realities.
What’s crucial to making it work will be greater efforts to secure job opportunities for those elderly people who can, and are willing, to remain in the workforce.
Scholars state that advances in medical technology and living conditions make people five to 10 years younger in terms of their physical and intellectual abilities compared with a decade ago.
The topic of an ageing workforce is becoming more and more discussed among business owners, insurance companies and healthcare providers.
The topic affects many areas of a business.
This week, Maprik MP John Simon called on public servants in his district who are in their retirement age to resign and give space to new graduates.
Concerns were raised about them (public servants) no longer performing their duties actively.
They have been told to move out and give space to new graduates.
To say their skills and knowledge are no longer competent for the current pace and time, is a slap in the face for those who are still very committed.
Not all university graduates want to work in rural areas.
Realistically, public servants are reluctant to live and work in rural and remote areas.
Most times, officers do not want to bring their families to live in these areas because of the lack of basic Government services like health and education.
Those who are to provide law and order, health and education services do not want to live and work in rural areas.
They cite many reasons from safety, poor road infrastructures, lack of equipment and materials to carry out their duties, and the list goes on.
There should be a transition, but before that, the working conditions must be changed to be an attraction force.
Otherwise, districts will only end up with an ageing workforce or those who are able to fill in the gaps.
The ageing workforce must know that times are changing.
As society ages, so too does the workforce.
We know that with age comes experience, but it can also bring a number of challenges.
Many people worry about their ability to work later in life.
Older employees bring experience, loyalty, stability and reliability to the office.
Some older employees also require a different kind of approach to not only keep them productive and valuable while working, but also to ensure that they can smoothly transition to retirement without becoming a financial burden to their employers.
There are many programmes out in rural areas and yes, we agree they needs competent publics servants to see them through for sustainability so communities benefit.
Some 80 per cent of PNG’s population live in rural areas, where access to basic services such as healthcare and education remains limited.
If MPs want to have officers to be on the ground providing service for the rural population, then they must improve planning and funding for maintenance of their respective national highway networks.
Physical isolation is a major challenge for the Government in expanding access to and maintaining basic social services.
Only then will young university graduates feel comfortable to live and work in rural areas.