Interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama has expressed regret at the achievements of the interim government since January 2007, stressing that much more should have been accomplished.

While opening the workshop for the Interim Ministers and Permanent Secretaries in Nasova this morning, Bainimarama said the major concern is that the overall efficiencies and effectiveness of the public service leave a lot to be desired in morale, motivation and productivity.

Bainimarama told the heads of government, the capacities in some key areas are weak even while the overall size of the public service is rather large for a country of our size.

The Interim Prime Minister stressed that he isn't seeing the level of commitment required to achieve the targeted reform and right sizing programme of the current 10% reduction in operational costs.

He revealed that all exemptions already granted for the 10% reduction will be reviewed and urged all civil servants to contribute towards this.

Bainimarama said to put it simply and bluntly, we cannot carry on with "business as usual" and must transform the performance orientation, service delivery, effectiveness and overall productivity and efficiencies of the public service.

He said that in many instances it is not the lack of resources which has constrained the effective implementation of the initiatives announced in the 2008 Budget, as it is more the processes of advance planning and preparedness on the part of Ministries, Departments and Agencies which delays or makes the implementation of cabinet decisions redundant.

He said he would like this to be a thing of the past and with immediate effect towards rectifying the weaknesses in the process so that there is 100% implementation of all cabinet decisions, approved work plans and initiatives announced by government.

The workshop ends later this afternoon.