Public servants

In a circular issued to all heads of departments, provincial administrations and heads of statutory bodies, the Department of Personnel Management said the 4 days are paid shutdown days and are not to be accrued if not taken.

DPM Secretary, Taies Sansan, said: “They are allocated days for the convenience of closing of government offices however, officers who are required to work to cater for essential and rostered arrangements will not be paid overtime but will be awarded a paid day off at a later time.

A training was conducted for public servants who are key role players in the sub-national administrations, up-skilling them in the delivery of basic government services. These key role players included Provincial and District Administrators (Chief Executive Officers), Provincial and District Finance Managers, Sector Heads/Advisors, Accountants, Project Managers, DDA Members, and JPP & BPC, who lacked competency. 

Two heads of agencies were among those who received their vaccinations.

The Secretary for Department of Personnel Management, Taies Sansan, and the Chief Censor, Jimmy Abani, were among staff from DPM, Immigration & Citizenship Authority, Foreign Affairs and others who got their jabs yesterday.

Prior to the vaccination conducted by the NCD Provincial Health Authority team, the acting public health executive manager, Dr Lucy John, said they were happy to provide vaccines to officers housed at the building.

He made this call after the National Control Centre advised that there is evidence of rising COVID-19 cases, particularly Delta Variant.

“It is important that we now make a call for the bureaucracy and the public service to take the lead by getting vaccinated in order to protect yourself, co-workers and families. This is not a mandatory imposition on anyone.

“For the moment, our advisors point vaccine as the only option to protect us against the effects of COVID-19,” added Mr Pomaleu.

He said the Marape-Basil Government has continued to honour its commitment to pay out public servants through the public service retirement exercise.

Minister Sungi confirmed that the government has paid out 37 public servants on pay 17 (27th August) as part of the first batch of retirees for 2021 who have reached compulsory retirement age, and others who are being retired on medical grounds.

In recent years, in an effort to rectify the problem of ethics and lack of values-based culture blamed on the public sector workforce, selected groups of public servants have been attending ethics and leadership courses at the Pacific Institute of Leadership and Governance (PILAG) every year since 2015.

Institutions like the Pacific Institute of Leadership and Governance are offering programs and courses to help improve efficiency of public servants.

And in the public service manpower is very important in all provincial levels, and for a province like Gulf, manpower depends on training the public sector.

Last Friday during the 3^rd graduation of the institution.

Esther N'drileng Mai aged 29, from Sou in Manus Province and Kevin Ehari were the only two graduates from Gulf. They were part of more than 200 Public Servants who graduated.

Those arrested include former Acting Provincial Administrator Joseph Kunda, Acting Provincial Finance Manager Helen Kanimba, Provincial Finance Examiner, Loimeng Bande, and Clerk of the Provincial Assembly Henry Kambuka.

Yama described the manner of arrest as cruel and criminal in nature.

They were arrested over allegations of misappropriation of the K6 million Manam funds.

This is the same matter, which the same officers were arrested for, twice before.

This will be done through the enforcement of the Special General Order 11 of 2019 (SGO11) which is a binding lawful instruction determined by the National Executive Council.

DPM Secretary Taies Sansan issued a circular instruction advising all heads of national departments, government agencies and provincial administrations to take heed of the measures to be enforced to ensure SGO11 is implemented accordingly.

The induction came after the officers attended the public service induction program facilitated by the Pacific Institute of Leadership and Governance (PILAG).

Participants covered three major topics in the induction program that included: General orientation of the public service; Orientation of the agency (central and line departments); Agency arrangements and the Orientation of the participants’ individual job responsibilities.