By REUBEN KALAUNG
THE Correctional Services officers should be looking forward to an increase in their overall salary package following two separate meetings between the CS Minister Tony Aimo, Public Service Minister Peter O’Neill and Treasurer Patrick Pruaitch in Port Moresby last Tuesday.
CS Commissioner Richard Sikani said earlier a staff structure was approved in 2005.
However, the Department of Personnel Management did very little to effect it.
Presenting the structure to the political heads of public service, Mr Aimo and Deputy Commissioner (operations) Martin Bathalzar said the CS had been operating on an obsolete structure since 2005 while Police and Defence Force were enjoying the perks and privileges under a “unified” structure for all disciplined forces in the country.
“Current pay package cannot meet today’s high demands for basic goods and services and to sustain the needs of a lower rank officer and his family,” Messrs Aimo and Balthazar stressed.
It has also played a negative role in the overall staff performance and moral.
The approved structure would need K23 million to fund it.
Mr O’Neill made a verbal undertaking that the matter was urgent and needed to be address immediately.
He said it was a sad truth that few submissions approved by the National Executive Council could not be fast-tracked.
Another meeting between Mr Aimo and the treasurer also yielded positive results.
Mr Pruaitch said he should be looking at “locking” in a K60 million funding to supplement the approved K23 million for salaries alone.
Mr Aimo was advised by the treasurer to write an urgent letter requesting DPM Secretary Margaret Elias to give approval for funding allocation next year.