5-man Cabinet

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Interim Cabinet members (from left) Ian Ling-Stuckey, William Duma, John Rosso, Governor-General Grand Chief Sir Bob Dadae, Chris Haiveta, Prime Minister James Marape and Soroi Eoe

By HELEN TARAWA
PRIME Minister James Marape has named a five-member interim cabinet, including himself, to set in motion his new government, as he works on a full cabinet lineup to be announced soon.
Marape said he and the four ministers would be holding other ministerial portfolios “during this short period”.
“(They) will be working with me to look at the portfolios and what talent we have in our government, and for us to fill in the rest of the ministries,” Marape said.
Marape will in the meantime look after National Planning and Monitoring, Police, Defence and Correctional Services ministries.
Lae MP John Rosso, who he retained as Deputy Prime Minister, will look after the ministerial portfolio of Lands and Physical Planning, Housing, Education, Health and Higher Education.
Kavieng MP Ian Ling-Stuckey has been allocated Treasury, Finance and Rural Development, Labour and Industrial Relations, Immigration and Border Security.
Hagen MP William Duma as State-Owned Enterprise Minister will in the interim look after Mining, Agriculture, Fisheries, Works and Implementation.
Kikori MP Soroi Eoe as Minister for Foreign Affairs will also look after Commerce and Industry, Justice and Attorney-General, Bougainville Affairs, Petroleum and Tourism.
Marape said the four ministers represented the four regions of the country.
“Tomorrow (today), work starts for us.
“We will have space between caretaker and permanent appointments,” he said.
“We will go through all portfolios we have, department, leaderships to see how far we have come together,” he said.
Marape said while there was a need to “satisfy political numbers”, his government would get the best leaders available who had the “right skills, attitude and exposure to a sector that he or she will drive to arrive at the national outcome”.
“We are prepared to work.”