Aust advisers for 89 rural districts

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

THE Australian government has agreed to place 89 advisors in the districts to ensure effective delivery of goods and services in line with Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s rural focused 2013 Budget.
A very happy Public Service Minister Sir Puka Temu announced this at the conclusion of 21st Australia-Papua New Guinea Ministerial Forum held at the Gateway Hotel in Port Moresby Thursday .
Sir Puka said Australia has agreed to put in one adviser or consultant to redirect and refocus the O’Neill-Dion government priorities in the rural areas.
He said at the moment there are close to 200 Australian consultants in the country that can be called upon to be at the 89 districts of the country by early next year.
“What we have achieved is that Australia has accepted our position that whole of the Budget support is going to the rural areas and in terms of implementation the big issue for Papua New Guinea (is) we want capacity at the district level,” Sir Puka said.
“Building capacity does not come in one day but comes over time but what we have secured in this Forum is for core funded positions like district administrators and district treasurers to be filled so we can co- fund the program — the PNG Government to pay the base salary and Australia government to pay other allowances.”
SIR Puka said the Secretary for Public Service will put together a team to work on the placements of technical advisors or consultants to go to the districts to sit down with day to day work with the district administrators to make sure that the appropriation for 2013 is rolled out for effective service delivery, particularly for health and education, infrastructure and law and order.
“We have asked for support from Australia which they have accepted. We will now address the issue of effective implementation of public goods and services. At the same time we will also address the issues of governance and so there is a supportive program under AusAid already and we are realigning that supportive government program to the rural areas, rather than leave everything in Waigani.
“I am very happy with that because it will also help best practices, it will help the district administrators and his managers on the ground on how to manage the funds in a transparent accountable manner, it will help build the capacity of the district administrators office in terms of stationery, computers and process management, so I am very happy as Public Service Minister.”
Sir Puka said the other big issue highlighted was that the PNG Government has agreed with Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG), and with Australia’s assistance, will assist Bougainville draft a Public Service Management Act and the processes in making sure that Bougainville has an effective public service.
He said the other issue raised was for the Institute of Public Administration to be elevated as a school of government with Australian assistance.
“So when every new public servant or a new government comes, people go through that institution for training at different levels in leadership management, so there is skill development ongoing all the time.”