BY SAMIE WAIKORI
The Leader of the Official Opposition Group in Parliament and Member of Parliament for Aoke/Langalanga, Matthew Wale, says accountability and transparency are key features of a good public service.
He highlighted this during the debate on the Public Service Bill 2025 last week.
Wale said openness and accountability in public service means the administration’s processes, rules, and decisions are open to scrutiny by oversight bodies like the legislature or ombudsmen, auditor general, and the public.
Wale emphasized that it is important that public officials in exercising public offices and powers, do so deliberately under the knowledge that their decisions and actions are subject to oversight and regular inspection.
He said public records are important and all official acts, decisions, and rules are recorded in writing, providing a basis for continuity, audit, and legal accountability.
“Public officials must never act on verbal instructions or directives, especially from ministers or politicians.
“A public official who is given a verbal political directive must demand that the directive be put in writing. This has been an area of corrupt decision making over so long,” he said.
Wale also said that under rule of law, actions must be taken in strict accordance with the law, policies, and established good practice, respecting the rights of those concerned, and recognizing that an appellate body may inquire into any matter, if appealed by an aggrieved party.
He added that decision making under the knowledge of the right of appeal is helpful in moderating such decisions and ensuring they are within the bounds of law.
Moreover, the MP stressed that in terms of responsiveness and continuous improvement in public service, the administration should design and deliver services with citizens’ needs in mind, ensuring ease of access, clear communication, and timely, sensitive responses.
“There are clear, accessible mechanisms for addressing complaints and correcting mistakes or poor decisions.
“The bureaucracy must actively seek to improve its efficiency, quality of service, and administrative procedures, by simplifying processes and utilizing up-to-date knowledge and technology,” he said.
Wale said there seems to be current fascination with the collection of personal data by various administrative bodies like application forms, arrival departure forms and so on.
He noted the public service must seek to discipline this urge for private personal data to the bare minimum needed for decision making requirements.
This fascination often merely adds to the paperwork, rather than any real administrative benefit.
Wale said integrity is who a person is when they are alone, when they’re not being watched. When faced with a grey area or a silence in the law, a person with integrity will err on the side of the spirit of the law, good precedent, good practice, common sense and what is right.
The Leader emphasized that this is why it is important that laws are clear, and administrative mechanisms are put in place to protect all who exercise public offices and powers, against their own worst instincts and the temptations from others.
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