Pangtel ‘rudderless’
By MOHAMMAD BASHIR
PAPUA New Guinea’s telecommunication authority (Pangtel) has been without a board since May 2005 and all its executive powers assumed by an acting chief executive whose own appointment in April last year has been questionable.
The Communications Ministers’ office and Pangtel director general’s office yesterday confirmed the anomalies but said measures were taken to address them.
In an interview with The National, acting director general of Pangtel Charles Punaha said since the term of the last board comprising Jim Josiah Nomane – chairman (current Member for Chuave), Clark Kuluniasi, Thomas Niniga (deceased), Carollus Ketsimur and Charles Punaha (CEO – ex officio) expired on March 15, 2005, there has been no appointment of a new board.
Without the existence of a board, all executive powers have effectively been vested in the acting director general.
An official in Minister Oscar Tammur’s office said the lack of a board was a concern.
“This is a legitimate concern. Pangtel has been without a board since May 2005. The minister has instigated the process and it is with the Public Services Commission. We should have a board by end of this month or early next month,” first secretary Charles Turi said, adding it was important to have a board in light of the interconnection battle between Telikom and Digicel.
Meanwhile, Mr Punaha’s permanent five-year contract as director general expired last April 27 but the Department of Personnel Management Secretary Margaret Elias appointed him acting CEO in a letter dated last May 11 “until cabinet formalised the acting appointment.”
Asked if Ms Elias’ action might be improper, Mr Punaha explained that at the time (April 2007) the general election was on and cabinet was suspended.
He said although Pangtel was governed by a different Act, the director general’s position was deemed as a head of department and Ms Elias stepped in for the sake of the institution.
“There was no board and if there was no director general, what do you expect to see around here?” Mr Punaha added.
But his appointment is alleged to be improper, and is being challenged in court by Pangtel’s former legal officer Paul Amaiu, who had been sacked.
Mr Amaiu is contending that because Mr Punaha’s appointment is improper and illegal, all his decisions as acting director general, and on behalf of the Pangtel board, were void and unlawful.
Minister Tammur’s office also acknowledged the controversy surrounding Mr Punaha’s appointment by Ms Elias.
“We were made aware of the problem last year and the minister has taken steps to rectify the problem. He has written to Personnel Management but we have had no response since,” Mr Turi said.
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