PM O'Neill calls on Department Heads to be independent and maintain consistency in service delivery

Prime Minister Hon. Peter O’Neill has appealed to the public service executive leaders that they must be independent and maintain consistency to advance Papua New Guinea and better the service delivery.

He said PNG is living in a defining moment of nation building and 2017 is approaching where their performances will be charged by the seven million people of PNG.

At the Public Service Executive Leadership Forum on Wednesday Mr O’Neill told all departmental heads who attended that their sheer commitment to the Government’s effective delivery of service must continue and at a different level with a strong leadership.

"We are living at the defined moment of our nation’s history. I say this because of the challenges and the opportunities that are before us," he said. "Our nations have gone through a lot of challenges, a challenge that we all have lived through in our lives, a challenge that is transforming a traditionally based nation to a modern nation. Be proud of yourself.

"One thing that concerns me most is allowing politics to creep into the public service. There has been strong distinction for many, many years, we must uphold, we are easy to believe in gossip, we are easy to believe in all the nonsense talk that goes on.

"This is something we must protect the public service against for public service must be independent, must not be afraid to speak up, speak up with facts that will back your arguments, speak up with your performance that shows your results and you will see the respect the community and the country will have for you.

"We in Government are not interested in your job, we’ve got enough on our plate, we want the public servant to take ownership of the massive resources that we are now investing in many of the districts, the Provinces and all the other sectors to change the country.