By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
PNG Defence Force soldiers yesterday marched to the Defence headquarters in Murray Barracks, protesting over promised pay adjustment and leave travel arrangements.
About 300 soldiers in Port Moresby yesterday confronted their commander Commodore Peter Ilau and Secretary Fred Punangi and demanded to know when they will be paid their new pay adjustments.
They also wanted to know why the method of processing their airline tickets for leave was changed, and paid into a travel agency that they know very little about.
The disgruntled soldiers, sailors and airmen from Lancron naval base, Air Transport Wing at Eight Mile, Murray and Taurama Barracks were very vocal during the confrontation with Commander Ilau and Secretary Punangi.
They demanded to know why the processing of their air tickets for leave was taken out of the Defence Force’s movement directorate and handed over to a travel agent.
They claimed that there was a network involving senior civilian departmental officers who were depositing tickets through the agencys so that they could get hefty commissions.
“It was a smooth process in the past to get our tickets through our military’s movement directorate. And now there are hiccups when civilian staff within the Defence Department are handling our tickets,” one soldier said.
Another said: “We want to do away with the current system because we do not get our tickets on time and if we do, it is always late because by then, our leave period is up. So our tickets become useless because we are back on duty. But then the travel agencies have already been paid.
“We now want to revert to the old system by getting our tickets through our Movement Directorate. And if it is still hard then just pay us the amount needed for our respective tickets into our wages so that we can buy our own tickets.”
The soldiers said they were angry because they did not get their new pay adjustment, which was promised to be paid in the final pay period of 2007, and called for an investigation into this.
But Commodor Ilau assured them that they will receive their new pay adjustment next fortnight and it will be back dated to last year’s first fortnight.
Mr Ilau said they were supposed to get it in the last year’s final fortnight as promised but this was delayed due to administrative problems.
“That problems as been rectified so you will get it next fortnight.”
Commodor Ilau also blamed the confusion on unit commanders who have misled their men and not explained properly how the adjustments to their pay would be made.
“The adjustments will be made according to your ranks and not just across the board.”
Explaining the ticketing issue, Secretary Punangi said he was just following a circular that was given to him by the Department of Personal Management (DPM) to have travel agencies process airline tickets for army personnel.
“But I will go back and tell them (DPM) that you do not want this method,” he promised them.