Chief Secretary to the Government, Ivan Pomaleu has called out the Department of the Prime Minister and the National Executive Council to resolve issues that hinder the progress of development and service delivery. This call was made during the Departments luncheon in celebration of the Country’s 48th independence. He advised that Independence is a moment in history, 48 years ago, that the country was admitted into nationhood, and joined the community of nations globally. Chief Secretary Pomaleu said the founding fathers have had their time and that now is time to take it from where they left off and on into the future. “It is our collective responsibility, as members of this department to work on making sure that the aspirations of this government and the people that it represents, as enshrined in the MTDP IV and other over-arching and associated documents are achieved.” He added that the government has taken stock of where the country is now and are determined to course through the direction, they want to take the country to. Pomaleu told staff members present that they were all privy to high level conversations on Connect PNG, on making health and education better, on building infrastructures, on building opportunities for common people, business opportunities, on taking back more from resources. He said we have already launched the Medium-Term Development Plan IV (MTDP IV), which is the aggregate of every other conversation that we have had up until now. "It is a guiding document that will help us achieve the development goals of our government." He said the MTDP IV sets the tone for all that must be done to deliver us to 50 years of independence and beyond. “It (MTDP IV) demands that we do not rest on our laurels and that we do not go to sleep on our watch.”