Public Servants must not be paid extra allowances when doing their jobs.
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill made those bold remarks when responding to questions without notice from Member for Chuave Wera Mori in Parliament today.
The Vice Minister for Mining directed his questions to the Prime Minister as the Public Service Minister Sir Puka Temu was not in the chamber.
Mori questioned why, “Officials from the Department of Mineral Policy and Geo-hazards Management paid themselves hefty fees for concluding state negotiation on probably the Wafi-Golpu Project amounting to a million Kina or more.”
Peter O’Neill said he will direct the minister responsible to investigate the allegation because public service employees are not supposed to get extra allowances outside of the salary.
“I will ask the minister and his department to investigate this and if they are found guilty they will be prosecuted and funds recovered.
“I am aware of the negotiation going on for Wafi GOLPU and other projects by our State negotiation team, but we (National Executive Council) have not approved any extra allowances for them to be paid.
“In NEC there is no extra allowance for anybody, they are already paid by the State, it also applies to other public servants.