The Special Parliamentary Committee on Public Sector Reform and Service Delivery is working on linking a sudden spike in National Housing Corporation evictions starting in 2012.
The inquiry into the National Housing Corporation evictions in Lae continues, with chairman Gary Juffa saying the committee met this week to further its mandated public sector reform agenda.
“Our proceedings so far are starting to show signs of deterioration of any public service housing agenda by the State through NHC,” Juffa stated.
“We are currently trying to connect a sudden frenzy of evictions and subsequent public servant housing sales all over PNG after 2012 – as to how those sales benefited the subjects supposed to be served by the NHC Act.”
Juffa stated that his simple reading of the objectives of the NHC Act is that NHC is supposed to serve and promote further accommodation for our public servants or prescribed persons therein.
The Committee is to yet satisfy itself that basic processes normally used in the disposal of State assets and those prescribed under the NHC Act were applied to all the properties sold.
Juffa reiterated that the Committee will not be supporting illegal occupants who are rightfully being evicted out of State housing. Neither will the Committee be supporting any legal tenants in unreasonable arrears.
The Committee will not deviate from its firm view that, for public servants to be expected to perform at expected standards, they must be afforded accommodation facilities to that standard.
Meantime, the Special Parliamentary Committee noted the valuable information provided to it this week by KC2 Ltd through its owner, Mei Lin. The Committee also noted that part of her submission was that she had nothing to do with the recent eviction at Cormorant Street, Lae, and that that property was not one she has any claim over.
The Committee is continuing its deliberations.
(An evictee with her belongings outside her property in Lae)