Elias Kapavore

The Minister was speaking during a Pacific Leadership and Governance Precinct meet in Madang last month.

Supporting the development of public servants in districts and provinces, including opportunities to engage in the public-private partnership arrangement, were the key discussions of the Executive Advisory Board of the Precinct.

The meeting also coincided with the launch of the new short course on project management.

Kapavore said the Precinct is helping to strengthen the foundations of the public service.

The projects will be co-funded by Digicel PNG Foundation and the local member’s office and Minister for Public Service, Elias Kapavore.

Pomio is the first district in the 10^th government to work in collaboration with Digicel PNG Foundation to respond to the community’s health and education needs.

Digicel PNG Foundation CEO, Beatrice Mahuru, said the Foundation seeks opportunities to work together to leverage resources, share strengths, increase efficiency and reduce overlap to tackle PNG’s social issues.

In a statement Kapavore said the K3.1 billion figure increase, purportedly from Treasury, was too high and clarified that the amount was only a projected increase.

The Minister said the pay bill increased from K2.680 billion in 2012 and is accurately projected to be K4.438 billion in 2017, an increase of K1.758 billion or 65.6 percent over the past five years and at an average of 11 percent annually.

Public Service Minister, Elias Kapavore, announced this today during a hand-over take-over ceremony.

Kapavore takes over the role as Public Service Minister after Sir Puka Temu was appointed Health Minister.

He told public servants during the event that as the department responsible for the appointment and conduct of public servants in the country, it was necessary for them begin the roll out of the time keeping system.

Juffa said Public Service is a very important portfolio and urged Kapavore to table the findings of the Special Parliamentary Committee on Public Service.

“I believe it is a holistic approach to improving the welfare of public servants and introducing corporate values, including performance based contracts for all public servants.”

He said Kapavore needs support from all the leaders to drive the public service machinery forward.

Meanwhile, Juffa said public servants must be honest in their job and help deliver to the people in a transparent manner.

The leaders were sworn in by Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae today at the Government House in Port Moresby.

The sworn-in Ministers included Kokopo MP Emil Tammur as Culture and Tourism Minister, Gazelle MP Jelta Wong as Police Minister and Pomio MP Elias Kapavore as the Public Service Minister.

The leaders told Loop PNG that their move to the Government is for the benefit of the province and not for their personal gain.

Minister Tammur and Minister Wong said criticisms by people from ENB are only from a minority.