BY SAMIE WAIKORI
Leader of Opposition Matthew Wale says Public Service bureaucracy is the primary vehicle that delivers government services to citizens, and is essential to maintain a functioning state or government.
Speaking in support of the Public Service Bill 2025, which was introduced by the Minister for Public Service, Francis Sade in parliament yesterday, Wale highlighted the importance of the bill.
He stressed that to understand why this bill is necessary, it is important to first understand the purpose, or why a public service bureaucracy is an indispensable and necessary part of a functional state and government.
“At the very basic level, you cannot have a state without a public service bureaucracy, nor can you have a government without a public service bureaucracy.
“One could go further and say you cannot have a country without a public service bureaucracy. It is that basic and essential,” Wale said.
He added that for a government to be effective in doing things, it needs a bureaucracy that will implement its policies and plans, and deliver services to the citizens of the country.
Wale explained that public service bureaucracy, composed of non-elected, specialized civil servants, and it’s the administrative “engine” that translates political decisions into practical reality.
He stressed that the necessity of a public service bureaucracy stems from its ability to provide order, expertise, and continuity in governance.
Unfortunately, the Opposition Leader said small countries such as Solomon Islands really struggle to afford the cost of maintaining the bureaucracy necessary to have a functional state and government.
He expressed that each time parliament passes new legislation, it almost always adds to the burden of work that the bureaucracy must perform.
Wale went on to state that it is either existing employees will have increased workloads or that additional staff are needed.
“In our current context, the cost of the bureaucracy is by far the largest share of the annual budget that parliament must appropriate, so that the government can function,” he said.
Wale emphasized that it is to afford the cost of the bureaucracy that, in the first instance, taxes are levied.
“So, it must be clear that having a public service bureaucracy is absolutely essential to maintaining a functional state and government.
“When we talk about government providing services to the people, it is the public service that is the primary vehicle for delivery of such services.
“This is why we must take an active interest in ensuring that this Bill will provide for building a fit-for-purpose public service for Solomon Islands,” he said.
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