MP: Put workers on govt payroll

By ANDREW ALPHONSE in TARI

Komo Margarima MP Francis Potape has mooted the idea putting all church pastors and workers on the national Government’s payroll for fortnightly wages. Mr Potape announced the idea at the opening of a new Dauli Seventh Day Adventist church in the Hulia Local Level Government area of Hela Province last Friday. The new church was built with a K100,000 donation by Mr Potape from his own pocket.

Mr Potape raised serious concerns about the country’s ever increasing lawlessness, social problems and evil activity. He said all lawlessness could best be minimised if churches proactively and vigorously do their part in converting souls and changing the lives of people, to become not just passive Christians but proactive members of their churches.

Mr Potape said over the years, governments had spent billions of kina to resource and equip the law enforcing agencies of the country like the police and the courts but despite that lawlessness and evil activities were continuing to rise. He said it was no longer necessary for the government to continue to buy vehicles, provide logistics and allowances for the police if lawlessness and all forms of illegal activities continued to rise.

Speaking to a gathering of over 3000 people, Mr Potape said he supported his Peoples’ National Congress party leader and the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s maiden historic policy in putting all village court officers and councillors on the payroll. However, Mr Potape said it was equally important that church pastors, deacons, evangelists be identified and put on the payroll by the government under the public-private partnership program.

He said by doing so, these workers would strive to do their best and convert souls to change the lives of the people which would then indirectly minimise lawlessness and all forms of evil that was crippling PNG. Mr Potape said he plans to try out the idea soon. Mr Potape said his joint district budget planning and priority committee had allocated K200,000 next year to support the work of church pastors and Christians with funding to be increased as the years go.

Mr Potape used the occasion to deliver another K100,000 each from his committee’s funds to the evangelical church run Dauli Dem Primary school and the Dauli Health Centre. He also presented another K50,000 each to the church in Dauli, the United Church at Tombeleanda and the Catholic Church at Huluma that are located within the same area.

Mr Potape also presented another K50,000 to the Dauli Seventh Day Adventist church to assist in the completion of the new church, including the purchase of a PA system for music and preaching. Also delivering his Christmas and New Year Message to the people, Mr Potape said 2014 is the year of separation and bluntly told the Christians that gathered for the occasion to rise up and evangelise and spread the Word of God to change and convert people’s souls and lives, adding that sin was on the increase when the faithful and the Christians were not doing enough to become good witnesses to others.