A lot will be spent on the cost of the public service if the public service structure is not better managed by the government. This was the suggestion put forth by former Prime Minister and Member for Ialibu Pangia Peter O’Neill, when debating the 2022 National Budget in parliament today. Mr. O’Neill said the K13billion allocated to maintain the operational expenditure in the 2022 budget, which also covers the public service expenditure, is way too high. “In fact, it is more than what the revenue that the entire country got in 2021 to go to maintain public service structure,” said O’Neill. “Real wage has not gone up, but public service machinery is increasing at ten per cent or around ten per cent every year. He said the real reforms are not being introduced like stopping recruitment, retiring the aging population in the public service because all these things need to be done so to cut the cost. “We need to relook at that so we can pull back this expenditure that is blowing out of proportion.” O’Neill concluded by saying that this matter will need everyone’s effort to address it by reducing the cost of public service structure. Picture courtesy: Parliamentary Media Services