Call to fill vacancies in boards

FARMERS & Settlers Association president Wilson Thompson says governance issues may rise in the Agriculture and Livestock Department (DAL) because of the Government’s lack of commitment to fill vacancies in various boards.
“The Government has yet to appoint boards of various agriculture and livestock commodity boards, including chief executive officers as well as a permanent DAL secretary,” he said.
“The agriculture sector was affected in the 2012 to 2017 term of Parliament when the then Agriculture and Livestock Minister Benny Allan kept waiting for a Functional Expenditure Review and the proposed Agriculture Adjustment Act.
“Allan announced that the DAL secretary and commodity board appointments would be sorted out in the first quarter of 2019.
He only announced the appointment of Spice Board Members.
“Prime Minister James Marape who is the acting minister (Agriculture and Livestock Minister Jhn Simon is under suspension) needs to clarify the status and take urgent action.
“The National Development Bank and National Plantation Management Agency are supposed to guide and expand the agriculture and agro-processing industries but their responsibilities have been taken away and given to State Enterprises Minister Sasindran Muthuvel.”
Thompson said DAL had not been providing the leadership and guidance on the functions and responsibilities of the department with its agencies and boards.
“That includes defining what small to medium enterprises (SMEs) are in the agriculture sector and how they will be assisted,” he said.
“The Government has done the right thing by focusing on agriculture and SME development as an engine of economic growth for Papua New Guinea but it urgently needs to get the systems and processes in place for smooth implementation of policies and projects.
“The agriculture sector commodity boards and agencies
are now a confused lot as far as policy direction is concerned,” he added.