Reshuffle for the best: PM

PRIME Minister Sir Michael Somare reiterated yesterday that a Cabinet reshuffle would be in the best interest of Papua New Guinea in order to maintain stability for the next two years until 2012.
Sir Michael is expected to make the reshuffle today.
He said yesterday that as he had announced previously from Wewak last week, that he “will be making changes” to his Cabinet.
Sir Michael said the reshuffle, dubbed by political analysts as a weeding process, was “long overdue”.
“It goes without saying that a shift in Government performance is long overdue,” he said.
According to political analysts, the positives of the reshuffle are that ministers who have not performed well will be replaced.
They also predicted that Sir Michael would replace ministers who have brought discredit to the Government.
One analyst said Sir Michael would employ “other politicians who are qualified and have had
experience in certain portfolios and replace ministers who have personalised their ministries”.
Sir Michael was speaking to the business community at the launching of Luciano Cragnolini’s L&A Group of Companies new head office at 6-Mile.
Sir Michael said with the launching of the Vision 2050 to accommodate the rapid growth in our economy, population and keeping pace with global changes and meeting the requirements of the Millennium Development Goals, he had to implement changes that were due.
“In order to implement this vision, the public service machinery must also improve its performance,” he said.
He assured that he would personally ensure changes are executed in his Government and the public service.
“I will be personally making sure that changes are made so that the public and businesses get better services out of our Government departments,” he stressed.
“I can assure investors like L&A Construction that Government will play its part to provide the enabling environment for further growth and development,” he said.
Sir Michael said his Government had less than two and a half years left in office and he had to deliver.
“While I am happy with the developments taking place around us in almost every province, I am perfectly aware that the Government machinery needs to keep pace with this growth,” he said.
While the reshuffle was imminent, political analysts have warned that “disgruntled coalition partners might
move camps, a vote of no-confidence is possible and best performing ministers may be ejected”.
Several senior ministers who were present yesterday, downplayed that there would not be any major changes.
But with Sir Michael adamant to get the Government and public sector mechanisms moving forward, it is expected that major changes are imminent.
Present during the launching yesterday were Nawaeb MP Timothy Bonga, Central Governor Alphonse Moroi, Finance and Treasury Minister Patrick Pruaitch and Petroleum and Energy Minister William Duma.