THE Minister for the Ministry of Public Service (MPS) will do all it can to improve service delivery and make it attractive seeing that it is a government principal agency looking after all line Ministries.
Minister responsible John Dean Kuku highlighted this last week when speaking in parliament.
Mr Kuku stated that his Ministry’s priority is to improve service delivery so that it meets the international best practises, deliver what government wants promptly and efficiently, prudent with public finances and plays a more active and effective role in national development and the growth of the economy.
Mr Kuku highlighted that the need of the citizens for the government to provide fast, responsive and caring services is matter to address, sooner the better for this country.
He said that the government at this time calls for skilled, professional, accountable and ethical public service. “I believe that the public service will rise to the call and challenge as long as we design the right system, processes and right incentives,” the Minister stated.
He further stated that Government’s fundamental belief is that individuals should be rewarded on merit and accomplishment.
“No longer will seniority and personal connections be a path to achievement,” Kuku stated. “We want to reward the best people and keep them working in Government,” he added.
He further added that government often lose professional to private sector, regional and international organisations.
“Therefore we must retain highly skilled and capable officers in the public service by setting rewards and incentives that recognised the different skill requirements for each position.
“We will retain more skilled and competent officers in the service if we continue to offer attractive package for them,” he said.
“Mr Speaker, the public service is working to its best, but we need not rest until the job is well done,” Kuku stated. “Red tape, buck passing, incompetence, slackness and corruption in the public service must put to an end,” he stressed.
“The leaders of Solomon Islands will agree with him that we want to be recognised as a country of good governance, by adding that it is now time to right the deficiencies that have plagued successive governments once and for all.
“This is a noble call from the public service, it deserves respect and compensation that is earned through performance and accountability,” he said. “Anything less than expected does not reflect the nobility of the public service fall short of the call,” he added.
By AATAI JOHN