Magistrates raise concern

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By ELIAS LARI
SOME village court magistrates in the country who are not receiving regular salaries want the Department of Provincial and Local Level Government to address their concern.
The issue was raised by village court magistrates in Western Highlands yesterday.
They said the Government, through the department, selected 11 village court officials from 5,000 officials and 1,600 village courts in the country to be on regular salary. They said only seven out of the 11 were on payroll but not the other four.
Team leader and Biapuri village court magistrate Raphael Owa, from Mt Hagen, said that he and three others, including a female magistrate, were not receiving their regular salary.
He said they had raised concerns for a  longtime but nothing seemed to be done.
Provincial and Local Level Government Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Sir Leo Dion has said that all village court magistrates and councillors would be on a regular Government payroll.
Sir Leo said the hard-working people would be properly compensated.
The Government and Sir Leo has announced a total of K38.4 million for the remuneration for the  officials.
Owa said they wanted the Government to consider immediate action because with the general election next year,  they feared nothing would be done.