Appointment facilitated under authority, secretary says

By HELEN TARAWA
DEPARTMENT of Personnel Management (DPM) secretary Taies Sansan says the appointment of board members of statutory authorities are facilitated under the Regulatory Statutory authorities (RSA) (Appointments to Certain Offices) Act 2004.
Sansan, responding to questions on the appointment process for boards of government, departments and statutory organisations, said the respective statutory legislations made reference to the RSA Act in their laws.
She said the ministers of the concerned portfolios began the consultation process and received nominations for board positions from stakeholders as identified in the law.
“The nominations are then sent to the Public Service Commission (PSC) for the fit and proper persons’ test,” she said.
“Once that process is completed, recommendations of the proposed board members are sent to the portfolio ministers to take it to NEC (National Executive Council) and the minister for public service can also present this to NEC.
“In some laws, the portfolio minister appoints board members. In other laws, the NEC appoints board members.”
Sansan said Section 13 of the RSA Act stated that in the event there was no board in place, the Department of Personnel Management played the proxy role on appointment matters only.
Meanwhile, Immigration and Border Security Minister Westly Nukundj directed the commencement of the appointment process for a new board.
Nukundj said his office was working with the DPM to put through the process for the appointment of the board.
He said the Immigration and Border Security board’s term had expired last month.
Nukundj said the stakeholders, who are members of the board, include representatives from the departments of Police, Foreign Affairs and Justice.