Kali unaware of wages

By MALUM NALU
PERSONNEL Management Secretary John Kali is in the dark over who determined that general-secretaries of political parties be paid a Public Service Grade 20 salary of more than K4000 a fortnight.
The parties’ presidents and treasurers receive a monthly stipend of K1200.
This is on top of the K10,000 paid by the Government to each party for each of their MPs.
“I don’t know who determined the classification of the political party general secretaries,” Kali told The National yesterday.
“But it would require a proper work value analysis through job evaluation.
“But on the face of it, they are over-classified and would require the approval of the Salaries and Conditions Monitoring Committee, which I preside over.
“I don’t recall approving such packages.”
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, on the other hand, said political parties should be strengthened and “competent staff” were required for this.
“Political parties need to be made stronger so that they can continue to develop our people’s increasing demand for services,” O’Neill said.
“Therefore, (parties) require competent staff to manage the party’s affairs.”
Registrar of Political Parties Dr Alphonse Gelu said last week that funds to pay political party officials came from the Government and were disbursed by the registry.
He told The National that this had been the case since 2001 when the Organic Law on Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates came into being.
Gelu said Papua New Guinea could be the only country in the world where the State was paying executives of political parties, which should be the responsibility of individual parties.
General secretaries enjoying the package (including gratuity and airfares which are on hold) are: Morris Tovebae (Pangu), Moses Kar (People’s Progress Party), Eddie Mike Jondi (People’s National Congress), Mathew Taso (United Party), Joyce Grant (National Alliance), Dick Wama (PNG National Party), Kila Poka (PNG Party), Nick Klapat (Melanesian Alliance), Gabriel Buakia (Melanesian Liberal Party), Ezekiel Pawai (People’s Democratic Movement), Quentan Chollai (New Generation Party), Hone Taylor (Stars Alliance Party), Willie Palme (People’s Party), Justin Yatu (Social Democratic Party), Roderic Kanama (People’s Movement for Change Party), Sam Kaniyosi (Triumph Heritage Empowerment Party) and Benjamin Gawi (People’s United Assembly Party).
The position is vacant in the Christian Democratic Party and United Resources Party.