Currently, the Department of Finance appoints treasurers for provinces and districts. This means that these treasurers do not come under the jurisdiction of the provincial government.
One of the endorsed resolutions at the 2nd Provincial Governors Conference in Lae was that the provincial and district treasurers should come under the Department of Personnel Management’s recruitment process.
Chairman of the Bipartisan Committee and Governor for Morobe Province, Luther Wenge, outlined this at the conclusion of the two-day event this afternoon.
He said the governors want the provincial and district treasurers to report to the provincial administrator and not the Finance Department. This, they hope, will streamline the process of funding disbursement.
One of the senior governors, NCD Governor Powes Parkop, said all line agencies, including DPM and important stakeholders, were present during the sessions and are “in alignment”.
“The governors we are also in alignment so the trajectory is very clear,” he stated during the press conference at the Lae International Hotel.
“We are committed towards making sure that in the future, all the impediments in terms of structural or legal impediments, or administrative impediments or financial impediments, are cleared so that government at the provincial level going down to district level are functioning well. And providing services and development for our people.”
Another resolution endorsed was that, all laws passed by the provincial government will become law immediately – within the jurisdiction of the province – without having to go through the Department of Provincial & Local Level Government Affairs.
“Many times, the law being passed by provincial governments collects dust in the department of provincial affairs,” said Governor Wenge.
Other endorsed resolutions will be made known at a later date.