Nomane Warns Against Centralizing Power

Opposition Leader and Member for Chuave, James Nomane while debating the PM Amendment Bill 2026, raised serious concerns over proposed amendments aimed at improving public service performance, warning the changes could make government systems more inefficient.

Speaking during the March 25 parliamentary sitting, Nomane questioned the practicality of giving more authority to the Chief Secretary to oversee performance of senior public servants. He argued that managing at least 61 departmental heads and provincial administrators under one office would be unrealistic.

Nomane said ministers and provincial leaders are better placed to directly monitor and act on the performance of their respective departments, rather than shifting responsibility to a central office.

He stressed that while the intention of the reforms is good, the real issue lies in implementation and accountability. According to him, the government risks weakening existing systems such as the National Executive Council by concentrating too much power in one place.

The Chuave MP also highlighted concerns about possible legal duplications within the amendment, particularly around definitions of public sector leadership roles, and called for clearer alignment with constitutional provisions.

Nomane further pointed to long-standing issues within the public service, including nepotism and lack of merit-based appointments, which he said continue to affect performance across the country.

He emphasised that over K5 billion is spent annually on public servants, and citizens expect better service delivery in return.

The Opposition leader concluded by urging stronger accountability measures, including regular performance reviews and the removal of non-performing officials, saying real reform must focus on results rather than structural changes.