Ambitious plan for PNG

 

By NEVILLE TOGAREWA

THE O’Neill-Dion Government will undertake an ambitious, extensive and thorough review of the systems and processes of government in the next five years from 2012-2017
Governor General Sir Michael Ogio outlined the government’s five-year develoment agenda designed to correct past mistakes, heal political wounds and put the country back on track when he officially opened the ninth parliment on Tuesday August 21.

He described the new regime under Prime Minister Peter O’Neill as a government of reconciliation, unity and hope to usher in a period of stability and prosperity for the seven million people of Papua New Guinea.
”Our hope is to achieve the highest pace of development any government has ever achieved since independence 37 yeqars ago,” Sir Michael said.
The following is an edited version of the Governor General’s important address to the members of parliament and the people.

The important part of my message to you today is: what are we going to do and how we are going to make a fresh start?

During the formation of the government, our coalition leaders met in Alotau and put together a development agenda with programs designed to correct the mistakes of the past, heal the wounds of political infighting and guide our nation back on track in the next five years.

The new government will be a government of reconciliation, unity and hope for stability and prosperity. The lessons we have learnt over the last 12 months must not be repeated. Instead we will create an environment for stability and prosperity and promote reconciliation, resilience and unity. Our goal is to achieve the highset pace of development any government has ever achieved since independence.

To achieve this, our government has put together a platform of action that will be implemented during the term of this parliament. The strategies are designed to bring our people close by another five years to achieving the goals and objectives set under Vision 2050.

LEGISLATIVE REFORM
The government will undertake a major legislative reform program to review and amend a number of laws and acts of parliament. These laws have been identified for review and appeal.
We will review the provisions of the constitution, including those relating to the election of the Prime Minister, the term of parliament which is currently five years.
We will amend the Organic Laws on National and Local Government Elections and Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates to make them more effective and relevant to our needs today.
At the same time, we will enact new legislation to remove political uncertainty and create a stable environment for the government to implement its development policies, projects and programs.
In line with our desire to promote reconciliation and unity and to build respect for independence of the three arms of government, we will repeal the Judicial Conduct Act, the Supreme Court Amendment Act, Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act and amendments to the Prime Minister and National Executive Council Act.
We will also pass an Act of Indemnity to indemnify all persons affected, as similar steps have been taken in other parts of the world.
To promote increased investment and free travel between our close neighbours Australia and New Zealand, we will pass a Dual Citizenship Act. We also plan to enact a law to set up the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).
Other important laws will also be reviewed and amended. They include NCDC Act, Public Service Management Act, Public Finance Management Act, Oil and Gas Act, Police, Defence and CIS Acts, Education Act, Electoral Boundaries Commission Act and Lae and Mount Hagen City Commissions.

FIVE YEAR DEVELOPMENT PLAN
The government will also review the Medium Term Development Plan. The five year plan will be fully costed and aligned to the annual budgets to include priority projects for provinces and districts. It will be the new road map for the O’Neill-Dion Government.

The priority impact programs will focus on the following programs:

EDUCATION
The government will extend the tuition fee education and subsidy policy to grade 12, provide infrastructure development support to tertiary institutions which will include housing for teachers in rural areas. Teacher training will be given priority to achieve quality education and a major review of teachers’ terms and conditions of employment will be done.
The government will also provide IT infrastructure and equipment to rural schools so that our children in remote and less accessible schools can develop their skills. Technical and Vocational Education Training programs will be given special attention and Community Based Skills Development Programs will be expanded. The Community College Program will also be reviewed.

HEALTH
The government will continue its commitment to accessible and affordable health by providing free primary or basic health care and subsidised specialist health care and encourage private health care services.
This will be achieved through the introduction of a National Health Insurance Policy in partnership with private health care providers. The government will also increase training of health workers, reopen all closed aid posts and improve the management of medical supplies and equipment throughout the country.
The government will also review the National Population Policy with the objective of making population as a major development agenda for the country.
Special attention will be given to containing HIV-AIDS and TB epidemics, non-communicable diseases and reduction of maternal and child mortality and cervical and breast cancer.

CORRUPTION
The government will continue to fight corruption in all its forms by providing proper funding and strengthening the inter-agency committee against corruption, especially Task Force Sweep, and introduce a bill to formally establish ICAC.
The powers and functions of the Ombudsman Commission will be review to identify and strengthen its core roles and given funding support.

INFRASTRUCTURE
The O’Neill-Dion Government will undertake a major review of the manner in which major development programs are planned, funded and implemented. A new authority will be set up under an Act of parliament to mobilise and negotiate funding and technical expertise in the country and offshore.
The authority will be tasked to oversee administration and management of major roads to link provinces to open up the country, as well as take charge of major economic and social infrastructure projects.
In addition, the Economic Corridor Concept encapsulated in the 2010-2030 National Strategic Plan will be implemented.
The government will also ensure that the multi-billion kina PNG LNG Project will be delivered on time with the first export in 2014 to provide the revenues to fund the five-year development agenda.
In this regard, the government will immediately set up a State negotiating team with membership from key agencies to negotiate a Gas Agreement with Inter Oil and its project partners. The team will work with Petromin as the State nominee to ensure that the best agreement is negotiated. Special considerations will be given to increased benefits for land owners and local and provincial governments.
The PNG LNG and Inter Oil Gas projects will underpin the country’s economy for the next 40 years.

LAW AND ORDER
Priority will be given to the restructuring of the Royal PNG Constabulary by creating the Office of the Secretary of Police. The recruiting process for the police commissioner and his deputies will be reviewed.
The restructure will allow the police commissioner to focus on police operations while the secretary will be responsible for administration and management.
A vigorous training program for the police will be done with the objective of increasing police manpower and funding will be provided for effective operations and improving conditions of employment.
Similar reviews and support will also be done for the PNG Defence Force and Correctional Services.
The government will also fund and support front line or village-based dispute resolution, community policing, land mediation and village courts as an integral part of maintaining law, order, peace and harmony our communities throughout the country.

PUBLIC SECTOR REFORM
The government will overhaulthe Public Service to improve efficiency and accountability. A performance based and outcome oriented polcy will be put in place for public servants at the natinal, provincial, disrict and local government level.
Current arrangements with respect to the department of Personnel Management and the Public Service Commission will also be reviewed. The department will be abolished and the commission will be restructed an given constitutional powers and functions to ensure public service efficiency. The PSC will be answerable to the National Executive Council.
The objective is to have a small office representing Personnel Management which will focus on deployment of public servants and training. The institute of Public Administration and its regional centres will be given special attention.
The government will introduce incentives for public servants, such asimproved salaries, affordable housing in both urban and rural areas and rewards for performance, as well as penalties for poor performance.
As part of the reform, the power of appointment and dismissal of provincial administrators will be vested in Provincial Executive Councils, not the National Executive Council. Parliament wil amend the Public Service management Act to give the NEC power to hire and fire departmental heads.
The role of the Central Agency Coordination Committee will be confined to monitoring the implementation of government policies and priority programs andmobilising agencies at the national, provincial, district and local government level to ensure effective delivery of goods and services.
The department of Prime Minister and NEC will assume overall responsibility of monitoring the implementation of development programs. The department of National Planning and District Development will be restructured and its functions changed to macro level planning, development of standards and collecting statistics at all levelsof government.
The National Statistical Office will be restructured to ensure that its capacity to collect data and tranbslate it into information for planning purposes will ccover all sectors and extend down to district and ward level.
The government will fully fund the Village Recorder program and fund it as part of the government program of effective service delivery.
Development funds will be disbursed through the annual budget to all the relevant agencies, provincial government and districts. The government will introduce a develoment program for all local level governments.

BUSINESS, SPORTS AND CULTURE
As part of the wealth-creation pillar of Vision 2050, the government will will develop and fund a comprehensive plan to open up customary land for development, especially for agri-business. It will also provide credit facilities for expansion of small to medium enterprises to help local businessmen and women.
PNG’s strong traditions and cultures will be protected and promoted, just as the country’s flora and fauna through conservation measures.

PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP
Under the government’s Public Private Partnership Policy, the public sector will be invited to partner the government to promoteefficiency andproductivity in State Owned Enterprises, job creation and increase income-earning opportunities for the people.
A partnership arrangement will be negotiated and the people, local and provincial governments, national financial institutions, unions, NGOs and churches will be invited to buy shares in SOEs, including PNG Power, PNG Ports, Telikom and Waterboard.

FOREIGN POLICY
The governemtn will review its Foreign Policy to ensure they are relevenat ot PNG’s and global requirements, takin ginto account business and investment needs of the country.
At the same time, the government will continue to focus on other important sectors. These include Petroleum and Energy, Land and Urban Planning, Forestry, Tourism, Fisheries, Environment, Conservation and Climate Change, Mining, Agriculture, Commerce and Business, Gender, Youthm Church, Women, Community and Sports, Inter-Government Relations and National Parliament.

CONCLUSION
Governor General Sir Michael Ogion concluded: “I have spoken at length about the government’s development agenda but this is not an easy task. Talk is cheap but action speak louder than words. The government will need the support of everyone from both sides of the House, public servants, the business sector, churches and the people. All of us have a role to play; all of us have a common objective to build a better an dprosperous future for each and everyone of us.”