Public sector culture change necessary for red tape reduction

Civil service head Mario Cutajar says a change in government culture will be necessary for plans to simply planning and administrative processes.

The principal permanent secretary today met the Local Council Association, together with parliamentary secretary Michael Farrugia and Labour MP and anti-bureaucracy commissioner Michael Farrugia, in a public consultation meeting on cutting red tape.

"Certain ministers have already started making the necessary cuts," Farrugia said of ministerial meetings taking place to simplify government processes.

He said that stronger IT services from government would make the involvement of local councils even more important in providing services to people with no internet access at home.

The Office of the Prime Minister will be the first ministry to be reviewed under the forthcoming simplification process. "Even though the public service is there to serve people, today citizens have to chase the public service. It is a system that instead of looking outwards, works inwards," Mario Cutajar said.

Cutajar said the OPM's Management Efficiency Unit was also looking at the processes, structures and amount of persons needed to simplify the procedures within the various ministries. "We are also working together with the University of Malta in developing new courses and modules in public policy and human resources."