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By LUCY KAPI
MOST Government departments have been unable to transfer vital files to
proper records thus, jeopardising the preservation of the country’s
official records, a record management expert said.
Sam Kaima, the Law and Justice Sector Programme (LJSP) records
management consultant, said the transfer of files by most Government
departments was not longer being done because the National Archives had
not been well-funded and that it was being worked by mostly unqualified
people.
A lecturer on records management at the University of Papua New Guinea
for over 13 years before joining the LJSP, Mr Kaima said even the
provinces did not have provincial archives of its own to store valuable
official records.
Mr Kaima was speaking to The National after the completion of a
three-day workshop on archives and record management which he
facilitated last week for 10 Correctional Services officers.
“Archives and records of Government departments had been neglected for
some time now,” he said, adding all evidence of official Government
transactions, official actions done in the past and
other important historical events should be kept on files for
transparency and accountability purposes.
Mr Kaima said management of records was an important part of overall
management and must be seen as part of managers’ attempt to keep files
and records of their official actions.
“In reality the records provide for a transparent management and provide
evidence of official transactions.”
He said during the colonial days, there were registry and filing clerks
who usually kept records but after independence, their positions were
abolished.
 
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