PSC CHAIRMAN WELCOMES PUBLIC SERVICE MINISTER INTO OFFICE
7/09/2022
The Chairman of the Public Services Commission Mr. Apeo Fuata Sione officially welcomed the Minister for Public Service Hon. Joe Sungi, and congratulated him on his re-appointment as the Member for Nuku and also as Public Service Minister, in a ceremony held at the Pacific Institute of Leadership and Governance, that was organized by the Department of Personnel Management, PILAG, and PSC.
Mr. Sione in his speech said the Commission envisions a cordial working relationship with the Minister in order to deliver on the government’s agenda on Public Sector Reforms as outlined under the Loloata Accords and to implement the Commissions programs and projects in its Corporate Plan 2019 – 2023.
“We had a good cordial working relationship with you as we endeavored to implement the government’s agenda on the Public Sector Reforms”, said Mr. Sione.
The Chairman further added that PNG is going through some difficult and rapid socio-economic and socio-cultural changes that have never been experienced before, therefore PSC, just like PILAG and DPM will need to manage these changes in order to take advantage of the opportunities presented to it to develop an efficient public service mechanism that will provide quality service to our people.
‘’The Commission through its Corporate Plan 2019-2023 will uphold its Constitutional mandated roles and functions, corporate goals, values, and integrity to promote the principles of good governance, accountability, and transparency to ultimately achieve its vision to transform the National Public Service into a vibrant, effective and efficient service delivery machinery”, said Mr. Sione.
The Chairman further reiterated that under Minister Sungi’s political leadership going forward, PSC will continue the working relationship it has with sister organizations, DPM and PILAG, to bring about an efficient and vibrant public service system that the people of Papua New Guinea will benefit from.
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PSC LAUNCHES ITS CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
BY PSC MEDIA
The Public Services Commission in partnership with European Union of Papua New Guinea has launched its Case Management System. The European Union (EU) has stepped in as a development partner to provide technical and financial support to the Public Services Commission to develop its Case Management System(CMS) at a cost of over K1 million.
The Case Management System is an online digital system developed particularly for workflow processes within the Public Services Commission to eliminate the excessive usage of paper work to enhance work based performance and improve time management. The CMS also ensures that all officers within the organization involved in the resolution of a case or workflow can also easily access information and communicate with each other through a single interface.
The EU PNGPSC MOA was signed in 2020 and the CMS project was tendered by the EU and the successful bidder was scheduled to start work in March 2020. However, the effect of the Civid-19 pandemic, that forced the world into a total lock down, also further postponed the project to March of 2021.Through meaningful consultations by both the PSC and the EU, recently saw the launch of PSC’s first Case Management System.
‘’The Public Services Commission (PSC) in line with the ongoing Public Services Reform has made some important administrative decisions to make changes in the way it manages its core functions , that is, Review of Personnel Matters, Investigations and the Merit Based Appointment Process. One such decision was made some years back and that was to manage its core functions with the use of digital platforms to keep pace with the changing times in the 21st Century. The Commission was of the view that change in an organization leads to many positive aspects-that lead to retaining a competitive edge and also remaining relevant to keep pace with the changing times. Change encourages innovation, develops skills, develops staff and leads to better business opportunities, and improves staff morale. ’Says Mr Apeo Sione Chairman PSC.
‘’The need to make PSC services more efficient was due to years of backlogs of workloads, at times poor quality work output from officers and the times managements inability t properly manage all workflows in their respective divisions, These and others were number of issues affecting PSC that created an impetus for a greater use of available technology. And one of the best ways to address these issues was to adopt the Case Management System’’.
Chairman Sione further thanked the European Union for its technical and financial support and is committed to ensuring the system is implement to increase productivity and work efficiently in PSC.


PUBLIC SERVICES COMMISSION PRESENTS ITS 2021 ANNUAL REPORT
Date: 23RD November 2022
In accordance with Section 17(1) of the Public Services (Management) Act 1995 (as amended) the Chairman of the Public Services Commission Mr Apeo Fuata Sione today officially presented to His Excellency, Grand Chief Sir Bob Bofeng Dadae, GCL, GCMG, KSt.J at the Government House at Konedobu the PSC 2021 Annual Report.
The 2021 Annual Report covers the period from January 01st, 2021 to December 31st 2021, and captures the activities, achievements, challenges and recommendations of the Commission.
The Report also contains an unaudited financial statement on the Commission’s Annual budget for the 2021 Fiscal Year. Despite various challenges including funding constraints the Public Services Commission continues to uphold and carry out its constitutional functions and responsibilities without fear and favour.
This is PSC’s 26th Annual Report presented to the Governor-General, to date. The Commission, therefore, is up to date with its Annual Reports to National Parliament.


PUBLIC SERVICES COMMISSION TAKES PART IN THE INDUCTION OF NEW OFFICERS OF THE OFFICE OF CENSORSHIP
By Dorah Gawi
23/11/22
The Public Services Commission (PSC) took part in the Public Service Induction program for four (4) Officers of the Office of Censorship this morning at the Sanctuary Hotel in Port Moresby.
The team from PSC included the Director of the National Review Division Mr. Joshua Ngawi, Principal Assessment Officer Mr. Timothy Waringe, and Principal Investigator Mrs. Ravugera Ginis.
The presentation surrounded the roles and functions of the Public Services Commission regarding Personnel Review Matters, assessment of the appointment function, and investigation with emphasis on the rights of permanent public servants and what administrative services are offered at the PSC.
The team also stressed the importance of understanding the legislations that relate to their employment as employees of the public service like the National Constitution, Public Services (Management) Act 1995 (as amended), Public Service General Orders, and other important legislations.
The inductees were able to ask questions to gain insight into some grey areas that they were not familiar with in regard to processes and procedures of the public service.
PSC commended the Office of Censorship for carrying out this very important program for their new hires adding that the induction program is a mandatory requirement for all public servants to undertake as instills a sense of pride in the mission and values of the public service and equips new officers with the foundational understanding of the processes and procedures within their organization and that of the National Public Service as well.


PSC TODAY: 1 QTR NEWSLETTER
Our 1st QTR Newsletter is available now for public viewing. Clink on the link below and read all about what’s happening at PSC on PSC Today.
PSC ANTI-CORRUPTION & INTEGRITY COMMITTEE ON NBC TALKBACK SHOW
2/11/2022
By Nadia Marai
The PSC Anti-Corruption & Integrity Committee made an appearance on NBC’s Morning Talk-Show hosted by radio personality Mr. Stephen Mase.
The Committee that included the Team Leader by Mr. David Hanaromo (Director Investigations), Ms. Rachael Wii (Director Assessment) and Ms. Dorah Gawi (Principal Media & Publication Officer) were accompanied along-side the Transparency International PNG’s Project Lead for the PAIS program Miss. Daera Ganiga.
The committee spoke about how PSC’s Anti-Corruption & Integrity Strategy was developed as well as highlighting the four (4) Key Objectives and eight Key Priority Areas to be implemented.
When asked about how this initiative came about, Mr. Hanaromo stressed that PSC stands committed to promote good governance, and have therefore taken part in numerous anti-corruption programs. PSC has said has also provided a platform for other organizations like the Department of Finance to roll out its Phones Against Corruption program through the PSC Awareness Program so when we were approached by TIPNG to develop an Anti-Corruption Strategy at the agency level, the Commission was more than happy to sign the MoU with Transparency International PNG .
‘’At PSC we promote good governance and we believe in good governance and so when TIPNG reached out we saw that as an opportunity to practice what we stand for. At times we have allegations that are raised against our officers for receiving bribes or engaging in corrupt activities so we saw that as an opportunity for us to use that platform to address those issues and in a way that can also be an avenue for us to properly address those complaints”, said Mr. Hanaromo.
Furthermore Ms Wii spoke about the eight key priority areas which will further address the four key objectives as captured in the strategy.
‘’The eight key priority areas includes; setting up of the corruption complaints desk to manage corruption complaints, enforcing the Public Service Management Act and the Public Service Ethics & Code of Conduct, improving compliance in mandatory functions and requirements of the PSC ,promoting and strengthening honest leadership, ensuring compliance and manageability of the finance management system, strengthening accountability and oversight, strengthening public awareness of PSC’s core function and to further strengthen coordination and partnership with PSC stakeholders.
Ms. Gawi also mentioned how the strategy will be rolled out, making mention of the various platforms that will be utilized to implement this strategy.
‘” The PSC Anti-Corruption & Integrity Strategy will be rolled through the PSC Awareness Program, hopefully by next year, depending on funding. The onus here is to inform the public about our stance against corruption and about how anyone for that matter can report issues of corruption that they cite officers of the PSC taking part in, we have provided platforms through our Facebook page, PSC enquires email and LinkedIn and in addition we also have a complaints box that will be placed at the reception area where anyone can come in and drop an anonymous tip or lay a complaint every complaint will be taken seriously’’ said Ms Gawi.
Miss. Ganiga from TIPNG spoke about their effort in advocating for a corruption free country and its assistance towards helping government agencies like PSC, develop and implement strategies to fight corruption at their respective levels.
“So far there has been a total of five agencies within the public service that have signed MoU’s to develop their agency’s Anti-Corruption strategy, and only two (2) have launched their strategies, PSC is the second, after the National Economic & Fiscal Commission launched theirs in June, 2022”, said Miss. Ganiga.
The Public Services Commission is serious about its stance against corruption and would be implementing its Anti-Corruption and Integrity Strategy 2022-2025 to address corruption its level as an agency of integrity.
//ENDS//




PSC WELCOMES VISIT BY PSC VANUATU
2/11/2022
By Nadia Marai
The Public Services Commission of Papua New Guinea was pleased to host its Melanesian counterpart, the Public Services Commission of Vanuatu in an important meeting held yesterday at the Commission’s office at Waigani attended by the Chairman of PSC in PNG Mr. Apeo Fuata Sione together with Commissioner National Ms. Judith Stenis, Commissioner Provincial Mr. Joseph Aka, Secretary, PSC Secretariat Mr. Terence Tupi and Senior Management Committee.
The delegation from PSC Vanuatu included Secretary PSC Mr. James Melteres and VIPAM Chairman and Executive Officer of the Ministry of Youth Sport Development Mr. Rex Tandak who are part of a visiting delegation from the Government of Vanuatu currently in PNG to review and validate courses under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Pacific Institute of Leadership & Governance (PILAG).
Secretary Melteres in the meeting highlighted the differences between the two (2) Commissions and added that PSC Vanuatu is here to learn and adopt some best practices, particularly the Merit Based Appointment Process used by PSC PNG in the
recommendation of appointments of Departmental Heads. Furthermore, he stressed the need for Constitutional bodies to carry out their roles and functions without political interference.
Another important agenda that was discussed was to have PSC PNG work in collaboration with other public service agencies in the Pacific region for organizations to learn from each other and perform their roles more efficiently and effectively.
The meeting was particularly to establish and improve existing partnerships between the two organizations in the Pacific and to foster a greater bilateral and multi-cultural understanding and corporation in the Melanesian Spearhead Group (PSG).
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PUBLIC SERVICES COMMISSION LAUNCHES ITS ANTI-CORRUPTION & INTEGRITY STRATEGY
1/11/2022
By Nadia Marai
‘The Public Services Commission (PSC) is serious about its Anti-corruption stance; therefore, we have aligned ourselves to other institutions of integrity who are promoters of good governance and are at the forefront in the fight against corruption. Organizations like TIPNG, ICAC and Ombudsmen Commission among other institutions of integrity.
We are focused on restoring confidence and trust in our decisions and recommendations and to uphold our Mission which is to promote a highly competent, non-partisan and representative Public Service that is based on the values of fairness, integrity, transparency, accountability and accessibility’.
These were the sentiments shared by the Chairman of the Public Services Commission Mr Apeo Fuata Sione, during the launch of the Public Services Commission Anti-Corruption and Integrity strategy on Friday the 28th of October, 2022.
PSC’s Anti-Corruption & Integrity Strategy was developed as a result of a partnership with Transparency International PNG in October 2021, and is the Commission’s first Anti-Corruption Strategy at the agency level, that is home grown and is specifically tailored for PSC.
‘’Through our partnership with TIPNG, the Public Services Commission was able to develop a Strategy containing four (4) Key Objectives and eight Key Priority Areas for implementation. The four Key Objectives are ‘Promoting and Strengthening Honest Leadership in PSC; Ensuring Compliance and Accountability in PSC; Fostering an Anti-Corruption Culture in PSC; and Building Capacity and maintaining effective people management systems’’.
‘’What PSC expects to achieve from the Strategy is a strong culture that values, promotes and rewards honesty and ethical leaders; that the compliance and enforcement of PSC’s decisions within the mandatory time-frame are strengthened; internal mechanisms to detect and counter fraud and misappropriation are strengthened ; that corruption complaints against our staff involving bribery, extortion and conflict-of interest are clearly identified and addressed efficiently and effectively within the time-frame of 30 Days, which is an internal process specifically developed to address allegations of corruption complaints both internally and externally that will be managed through the Anti-Corruption & Complaints Desk which has been created through this strategy. It means the Commission can now take action on its staff, even refer them to relevant authorities if need be, regardless of the alleged complaint made’’ said Mr Sione.
He stressed that the reality in PNG is that our people have lost confidence in the systems of governance within the Public Service, therefore the onus is upon us here today to convince the people of Papua New Guinea whom we serve, that the fight against corruption is still worthwhile, and starts with organizations like the Public Services Commission.
Mr. Sione also took the opportunity to acknowledge the support of TIPNG, Square Circle Australia and PSCs Anti-Corruption & Integrity Strategy Committee Mr David Hanaromo, Ms Racheal Wii and Ms Dorah Gawi for their immense contributions in developing this strategy.
//ends//


TI PNG COMMENDS PSC ON DEVELOPING ITS ANTI-CORRUPTION & INTEGRITY STRATEGY
1/11/2022
The Public Services Commission in partnership with the Transparency International (TIPNG) successfully launched its agency level Anti-Corruption & Integrity Strategy on Friday 28th October, 2022.
Chief Executive Officer of TIPNG Ms. Arianne Kassman commended the Public Services Commission for this milestone achievement towards the state’s efforts in achieving the National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2020-2030.
‘’On this occasion we celebrate the dedication and effort of the Commission in developing your first agency-level anti-corruption strategy. This commitment speaks to the importance the Commission places on ensuring that it is fully equipped to fulfil its mandated functions. As Chairman Sione rightfully states in the foreword, the strategy we are launching today is home grown and specifically tailored for the Public Services Commission.
“We at TIPNG fully support the key objectives of the strategy, notably the fostering of an anti-corruption culture in PSC. The PSC in the Strategy identifies that it has a moral obligation to perform its role free of corruption, and this ethos should be shared across all state agencies in PNG,” said Ms Kassman.
This initiative was made possible by TIPNG with funding from the European Union, through the Promoting Anti-Corruption & Integrity Strategies (PAIS) Project. The overall objective of this project is to strengthen public trust in state agencies.
//ENDS//


FINAL YEAR POLITICAL SCIENCE STUDENT UNDERTAKES INDUSTRIAL TRAINING WITH PSC
Monday 3 rd October 2022
The Public Services Commission has taken on board a final-year Political Science student
from the University of Goroka to undergo six weeks of Industrial Training attached to the
National Review Division.
Twenty-five (25) year-old Kipson Ninjil started on the 22 nd of August this year and completed
his Industrial Training on Friday, 30 th of September gaining hands-on experience and
understanding of what is expected of him in a real job setting before beginning his career.
Ninjil said he has gained valuable skills and knowledge about the different government
business processes; work ethics and professionalism in an organization.
‘’This is my first professional experience with an organization. When I first arrived, the
Director of the National Review Division Mr. Joshua Ngawi was very helpful in explaining the
government process, PSC’s roles, and function. I was provided information on the Public
Service General Orders and other internal policy papers for PSC like the Management
Action Plan which greatly assisted me in familiarising myself with the work of the Public
Services Commission before I could begin work. I was also assigned work that included
drafting Advice and Information Papers for Personnel Review Matters”, said Ninjil.
Mr. Ninjil said that he was happy to be part of PSC as he was fortunate enough to meet so
many officers who are helpful very knowledgeable in their roles and professional in their
approach to him, especially when assisting him in understanding PSC’s core function, which is
the review of personnel matters concerning public servants.
“I have learned a lot in terms of professional business writing and have gained some
valuable work ethics during my time with PSC and I look forward to implementing these new
skills and traits that I have gained in my studies and career as well”, he said.
Mr. Ninjil is the second student from the University of Goroka to undertake his Industrial
Training with PSC. Similar arrangements have also been undertaken with the University of
Papua New Guinea’s School of Journalism and Public Relations.
The Public Services Commission remains committed as equal partners with these
institutions of higher learning to foster and develop future leaders of PNG. PSC not only
wants to develop good work ethics for the students but also gives them an insight into the
mechanics and the importance the National Public Service plays in the delivery of goods and
services, as well as the role PSC plays in carrying out its roles and functions in the NPS.
The Public Services Commission wishes Mr. Ninjil the best in his studies and his
professional career in the future.
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