Defence force aims to improve operations

THE Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) plans to improve its operations and administration next year, Commander Major–Gen Gilbert Toropo says.
Toropo said this at the Chief of Defence Force annual parade in Port Moresby on Friday.
He said a key area would be the establishment of a nation building capability capacity focused on civil action and support.
He said the PNGDF was seen as a go-to organisation and needed to ensure that it was structured, equipped and trained to be able to respond to the call of the people.
He said the theme for 2020 would be “consolidation, preparation and regeneration” and this needed members of the organisation to be resilient enough to move through change and to able to deliver and continue to deliver support to the nation, region and to the world.
“My intention is to place the right resources, right people and the funding into the right places to create the changes needed,” Toropo said. “We must seek to add value to the nation in everything we do so that our government and people see the value of every kina invested in us and our capabilities.”
Toropo said the PNGDF in cooperation with the Defence Department would draft a new Defence White Paper and its associated medium-term defence capability statement that would provide the path way to acquire the capabilities they needed for the next 10 year.
He thanked all bilateral partners for the continuous support to the PNGDF over the years.