Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso was amongst 228 graduands who passed out last Friday at the Somare Institute of Leadership and Governance (SILAG).
He graduated with an Advanced Diploma in Government-Leadership and Management through SILAG’s Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) 2025–26 program.
SILAG hosted its fourth Mid-Year Graduation ceremony last Friday.
Using the occasion, DPM Rosso challenged fellow public servants to become more professional, responsive and accountable in delivering government policies.
Addressing fellow graduates, Mr. Rosso said government policies and directives would achieve little without a competent and professional public service capable of implementing them.
“Politicians can give directions, politicians can give policies, politicians can give commands, but that direction, that policy is ineffective if the public service is not highly professional and functional and responsive and dedicated to doing its role,” Mr. Rosso said.
He said politicians depended heavily on public servants to translate government decisions into practical outcomes for the people.
“We depend on the public service. In a company, when you sit in a company, you depend on your managers. So, the public service has to be trained, responsive, professional and exercise that management role,” he said.
Mr. Rosso also accepted that politicians must take responsibility for government failures but said public servants were responsible for implementing government decisions.
“Too many times we all sit and blame government. I sit on social media and look at it.
Everyone blames government, everyone blames the politicians,” he said.
“Yes, I accept some of that blame, me and my colleagues. But who implements the government’s directives? Not the politicians. It’s the public service.”
SILAG Governing Council Chairlady Taies Sansan said Mr. Rosso’s graduation demonstrated the importance of continuous professional development, including for elected leaders.
“If our Deputy Prime Minister can undertake professional training at SILAG, then we should also consider structured orientation and ethics training for our elected leaders,” Ms. Sansan said.
She said effective public service depended on capable people and that SILAG’s role was to turn government policy into practical skills that improved service delivery.
Ms. Sansan said the proposed transformation was not simply about changing the institution’s status but about producing leaders capable of managing complex challenges and improving government performance.
Public Service Minister Joe Sungi, who delivered the keynote address, congratulated the graduates and called for a change in the way public servants work and lead.
“We must also change the way we work and lead,” Mr. Sungi said.
“Your qualifications must lead to honest decisions, accurate records, and improved services for our people. Use them to show leadership, improve your work, and serve the people.”
Mr. Sungi linked the importance of continuous professional development to NEC Policy Decision No. 61/2021, saying ongoing training was essential to strengthening governance, accountability and digital transformation.
Both Ms. Sansan and Minister Sungi reaffirmed SILAG’s ambition to attain university status by 2027.