Reforms vital for service delivery

 CHIEF Secretary to Government Sir Manasupe Zurenuoc says establishing reform programmes in the governance system are vital to deliver basic services to the people.

Sir Mansupe said in his keynote address at the launch of the review of Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Governments in Port Moresby yesterday.

The reform programme is being spearheaded by the Constitutional Law and Reform Commission and the Department of Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs and was attended by provincial administrators and stakeholders. 

“I have personally endured many reforms to the decentralised systems over the past 30 years and the most significant one was the reforms of 1995 when the Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Governments was introduced,” Sir Manasupe said. 

“Those reforms made a number of significant changes to the system of decentralisation whereby provincial constitutions were removed and provincial governments effectively became an extension of the national government.

“A system of provincial and district treasuries were also established which shifted greater financial accountability to provinces and districts alike where spending decisions were being made.

“Provincial, district and local level government development plans were made mandatory and have now become the backbone of provincial administrations.

“To ensure these changes were properly implemented, the Organic Law established the provincial and local level government services monitoring authority (PLSMA) and provincial inspectorates.

“It is about time that we adjust our administration to reflect the practical reality to build goodwill of the Government,” he said.