Papua New Guinea’s Chief Secretary, Ivan Pomaleu, has welcomed a new cohort of permanent officers to the Department of Prime Minister and National Executive Council (NEC), following their completion of a week-long public service induction program.
Pomaleu attended the ceremony on Friday at the Somare Institute of Leadership and Governance (SILAG) in Port Moresby, alongside acting Deputy Secretary for Policy Wing 2, Freda Komolong, Deputy Secretary for Operations, Joshua Uvau, and senior departmental staff.
In his remarks, the Chief Secretary congratulated the 75 probationary officers who completed the Public Service Induction and received the National Certificate 2 in Government Public Service Induction.
“Your successful completion of this rigorous programme marks your formal entry into a noble vocation,” Pomaleu said. “As permanent members of the public service, you carry a responsibility to uphold integrity, transparency, accountability and the highest standards of public leadership.”
He said the induction provided essential knowledge and skills needed for effective public administration, including training in governance, ethics, accountability, communication, leadership, critical thinking and policy implementation.
Pomaleu urged the new officers to apply their training in their day-to-day work and maintain the highest standards of conduct.
He encouraged them to serve with “compassion, empathy and a steadfast commitment to the public good”, collaborate with colleagues, seek mentorship, and demonstrate resilience when facing challenges within the public service.
“Uphold transparency and accountability,” he said. “These are essential to building and maintaining public trust and ensuring effective governance.”
Pomaleu also thanked lecturers and facilitators at SILAG, as well as the department’s Human Resource Branch, for their role in preparing the next generation of public servants.
He encouraged the officers to pursue ongoing professional development and to take pride in their work as they begin their careers across government agencies.
“The Public Service Certificate symbolises your commitment to the nation’s public service,” he said. “Carry it with pride and let it remind you of the positive impact you can make in the lives of our citizens.”
Pomaleu concluded by urging the new officers to work collaboratively across the public sector to “build a brighter future for the country.”