Govt decentralises financial services
THE Government is decentralising its financial services further with the establishment of four regional treasuries.
The programme started with the ground-breaking ceremony last Thursday morning at Yomba, Madang, the site of the first regional treasury building.
Treasurer and Finance Minister Patrick Pruaitch said the total cost of establishing the offices was estimated at K24 million.
The office in Madang would be headed by an assistant secretary who would report to a first assistant secretary in Waigani.
He would oversee the four provincial treasurers in Morobe, Madang, East Sepik and Sandaun provinces.
Other regional offices would be built in Kundiawa for the Highlands, Rabaul (Islands) and Bautama central city (Southern).
Mr Pruaitch said this programme was a strategic move by the Department of Finance to reinforce its functions and operations.
He said the Government’s focus has now shifted towards rural development and it was “important for service-drivers like the Department of Finance to strategically realign its operations.”
“The central idea is for the provincial and district treasuries to have resource support base at their doorstep,” he said.
Mr Pruaitch added the department of Finance would continue with the roll-out of the remaining 38 of the 89 district treasuries “to effectively serve” all levels of the Government.
The department was also having discussions with the University of Papua New Guinea to develop a long-term training package “for the staff to increase their intellectual capacity,”he said.
“The vision is to see all provincial treasurers become degree holders,” he said.
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