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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Prime Minister Hani Mulqi said Saturday that protection of public money is a sacred duty and urged civil service employees to help control spending and tighten curbs on the use of government vehicles and consumption of electricity and water.

Mulqi was addressing the 14th Government Leadership Forum, which was organised by the Ministry of Public Sector Development at the Royal Cultural Center as part of the government's strategy to tie its work programmes with detailed executive plans with clear performance indicators and time frames to promote transparency.

"The government and its leaders and employees perform the honourable task of serving the citizens. They are there for this unrivaled duty", Mulqi told the gathering, urging civil service staff to offer the best service with "utmost" honesty, credibility and efficiency.

He vowed zero tolerance with abuse of public funds, which, he said, have "a great sanctity, since this money is for all", stressing that protection of these funds should be a paramount priority for a civil service employee.

Mulqi said he will not tolerate that a senior public service staff member uses a big engine car in violation of the prime minister's instructions of tight spending, including curbs on the use of government vehicles outside duty hours, which is subject to accountability.

The premier pledged that his government would introduce performance and achievement measurement indicators in government service, and would closely monitor these to avoid a return to the debilitating traditional methods. Achievement and creativity, he said, will be rewarded and added that any practices that hinder achievement and complicate measures for citizens will be dealt with.

Mulqi also told the meeting that the government will provide "all forms of support" that the Independent Elections Commission needs to conduct and administer the upcoming parliamentary polls, reiterating that the vote will be "the real mirror of the political reform led by His Majesty King Abdullah".

Public Sector Development Minister Yasira Ghousheh said the forum brings together government leaders and administrators in the ministries and public institutions to discuss updated approaches in administration and acquaint them with the beset international practices in the field.

She stressed the government's commitment to upgrading measures to improve work and achievement and put forward performance measurement indicators based on the motto "what cannot be measured, cannot be managed".

Ghousheh emphasised the importance of activated evaluation in public institutions, starting with putting in place the executive plans in conformity with institutional and national goals based on the analysis of opportunities and challenges to reflect on the strategies of an institution, setting performance indicators and addressing the loopholes.

She said the goals of the government executive programme indicators include identifying responsibilities and roles for the various ministries and public entities in implementation according to priorities, setting work priorities and targeted levels of achievement and guaranteeing that the resources and potentials are geared towards achieving the programme.