The National Executive Council has directed the Department of Personnel Management (DPM) through the Public Service Minister, Westly Nukundj, to tidy up all appointments for Head of Departments and statutory bodies.
DPM has been directed that six months before contracts expire, positions must be advertised and acting appointments must be for a period of three months before a substantive appointment be made.
NEC in its directive wants contracts for appointed positions be cleared by the State Solicitor in the shortest possible time; not more than three months.
According to a statement from the Office of the Public Service Minister, Nukundj, to support the Government’s intention of ensuring acting appointments are for three months only, and for positions to be substantively filled, the Department of Personnel Management has completed the pre-screening for the two departmental head positions.
They include Secretary for Department of Agriculture and Livestock and Secretary for Department of Labour & Industrial Relations.
“The delays in the signing of contracts after the agency heads have been appointed have been largely due to the clearance of their contracts by the Office of the State Solicitor, who ensures that proper procedures and processes are complied with before issuing the legal clearance,” clarified the office.
“Other positions also going through the process for profiling and pre-screening are Secretary for Department of Petroleum; Secretary for Department of Implementation and Rural Development; Secretary for Constitutional & Law Reform Commission & Director General of National Youth Development Authority.
“Recently the position of Registrar General of PNG Civil & Identity Registry was advertised and will close on 2nd August 2019.
“Other positions that will be advertised soon are Police Commissioner, Director General National Intelligence Organisation, Auditor General and Director for National Disaster Office.
“For the position of Secretary for Department of Personnel Management, this is being managed by the Office of Chief Secretary and CACC.”
Meanwhile recently, Acting Secretary for the Department of Personnel Management, Taies Sansan, witnessed the swearing in of several heads of statutory bodies.
Those that signed their contracts before the Governor General of Papua New Guinea, Sir Bob Dadae, included:
- Dean Kuri as Chief Executive Officer of Accident and Investigation Commission;
- Steven Maken as Managing Director of Small and Medium Enterprise Corporation;
- Clarence Hoot as Managing Director of Investment Promotion Authority;
- Gunther Joku re-appointed as Managing Director of Conservation and Environment Protection Authority;
- Peter Tsiamalili re-appointed as Executive Director of PNG Sports Foundation;
- Dr. Nick Mawe Dala as Director of National AIDS Council Secretariat; and
- William Hosea re-appointed as Provincial Administrator of West New Britain Province.
All will be serving a term of four years while Dr. Dala will serve for three years as per the National AIDS Council Secretariat Act and Maken will serve out his three years when his contract expires in September 2019.
(The recent swearing-in of department heads)