Prime Minister James Marape has welcomed the introduction of a new Electronic Recruitment System for Papua New Guinea’s Public Service, describing it as a major reform aimed at improving transparency, efficiency and merit-based appointments across Government.
The digital recruitment platform, introduced through the Department of Personnel Management’s Public Service Executive Recruitment System, is designed to modernize the recruitment of Agency Heads by replacing manual processes with a centralized and automated system.
Mr. Marape in a statement yesterday said the initiative forms part of the Government’s broader “Reset at 50” reform agenda focused on strengthening institutions, improving service delivery and building a more accountable Public Service as Papua New Guinea enters its next 50 years of nationhood.
“This is the direction our country must take as we reset Papua New Guinea for the next 50 years,” Mr. Marape said.
“We cannot continue to run a modern nation with old systems that are slow, vulnerable to manipulation and difficult to monitor.”
“Our Public Service must become more professional, more transparent, more responsive and more focused on delivering results for our people.”
Mr. Marape said the Electronic Recruitment System enables Government agencies to assess candidates through structured and criteria-based processes that consider professional qualifications, experience, leadership capability and performance.
He said the reform has been supported through the Central Agency Coordinating Committee Pre-screening Committee, bringing together senior officials from key Government institutions including the Departments of Personnel Management, Prime Minister and National Executive Council, Treasury, Finance, Justice and Attorney-General, National Planning and Monitoring, Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs, the Papua New Guinea Civil and Identity Registry, Internal Revenue Commission and Public Service Commission.
Mr. Marape said the system has already demonstrated improvements in efficiency, with recent assessments and shortlisting exercises completed in approximately 30 minutes.
He said moving from paper-based recruitment to a digital platform would strengthen public confidence and ensure merit, competence and integrity remain central to public sector leadership.
“The people of Papua New Guinea deserve a Public Service where capable and qualified citizens are given a fair opportunity to serve,” he said.
“This reform helps reduce unnecessary delays, removes excessive paperwork, improves consistency of assessments and strengthens safeguards against favoritism or interference in recruitment processes.”
Mr Marape said Government institutions must recruit capable people and place them in positions where they can deliver measurable outcomes.
“This is how we build a government machinery that can deliver better health services, stronger education, safer communities, improved roads, more jobs and greater opportunities for our people,” he said.
The Prime Minister said artificial intelligence, information and communications technology and digital systems should become practical tools for addressing long-standing weaknesses in public administration.
“We must use AI and ICT to reduce the space for the wantok system, nepotism, corruption, complacency and other forms of unfair influence in Government appointments and service delivery,” Mr. Marape said.
“Papua New Guinea must become a meritocracy, where a person’s appointment and advancement is based on qualifications, competence, experience, integrity, leadership ability and performance.”
Mr. Marape said the Government intends to progressively apply similar reforms to procurement, tendering and project delivery processes.
“We will increasingly use ICT and Artificial Intelligence in the way Government contracts are advertised, assessed, awarded, monitored and reported,” he said.
“Public procurement must be open, competitive, traceable and based on value for money.”
The Prime Minister said the reform direction reflects his call during Papua New Guinea’s 50th Independence anniversary for institutions and systems to be modernized for future generations.
He commended Department of Personnel Management Secretary Ms. Taies Sansan and the Central Agency Coordinating Committee for leading the initiative.
Mr. Marape said digital transformation is not simply about replacing paper systems but about improving decision-making, service delivery and accountability.
“As we move into the next 50 years of our nationhood, Papua New Guinea must embrace technology, innovation and Artificial Intelligence responsibly to strengthen Government systems and improve the way services reach our citizens,” he said.
Mr. Marape said the Government would continue supporting reforms that improve Public Service performance and strengthen governance.
“This is the kind of reform that will help us build a stronger Papua New Guinea,” he said.
“We are resetting our country’s systems so that no citizen is left behind, no capable Papua New Guinean is denied opportunity, and no public institution is allowed to remain ineffective when the people are waiting for services.”