Blame Planning Minister for NID problems

 THE mismanagement and gross abuse of K200 million allocated for the NID (national identification) programme must be blamed squarely on the current National Planning Minister Charles Abel. 

This important national project has effectively become a failure thus putting the O’Neill government in bad light. 

The majority of the citizens in urban and rural areas are not yet registered and the project funds have been reportedly been depleted already.

Even some of those ground technical staff engaged to carry out awareness, survey and registration have not been paid to date and are still fronting up for their wages at the NSO (National Statistics Office) and National Planning Department.

NSO has been tasked to lead and manage the technical aspects of the program but they have had little to do because most of the important main decisions have been forthcoming directly from the Minister Abel’s office with his band of so-called advisors and consultants and political staff. 

The Minister’s office has been running like another mini department on its own without following the proper established process and channels with the Ministry, Department and NSO. 

For clarification, NSO reports directly to the Minister of Planning and that has been the procedure since.

Therefore, for the Minister to shift blame to the staff of NSO and National Planning for not mishandling the program is not right and even not true. 

These two government organisations have been isolated and everything is coordinated at the Minister’s office. 

Gigs

Waigani, NCD