Court allows firm to recruit staff for SHPG

National, Normal
Source:

ANDREW ALPHONSE

THE National Court in Waigani has allowed recruiting firm Pacifica HR Ltd to proceed with the recruitment of public servants for the Southern Highlands province.
The provincial government opted for external advertisement of the positions early this year and engaged professional recruitment agent Pacifica HR to do the recruitment.
However, one public servant, the provincial government’s human resource manager– Yakumb Pinpin took out a court order that prevented Pacifica HR continuing the recruitment process.
Mr Yakumb claimed in court that the provincial administrator suspended him in March this year and the suspension was done without complying with the Public Service Management Act and General Order number 15.
An order was granted on Aug 12 preventing Pacifica HR, the provincial administrator and the provincial government from deliberating on the selection of the positions.
However, the provincial government through Jerry Kiwai lawyers applied for Mr Pinpin’s restraining orders to be dismissed by the court.
Kiwai lawyers told the court that one person for his own position cannot act for all the other positions in the provincial administration and hold the recruitment process to ransom, and throw the public service machinery in the province into confusion while the people suffer.
Last Monday, Justice Pomat Paliau said there was no substantive issue for the matter to be tried any further and dismissed the entire court proceedings, and ordered Mr Pinpin to pay the cost of legal proceedings.