Department auditing public service to clean up payroll

THE Department of Personnel Management (DPM) has started an audit into government departments, provincial administrations and statutory organisations to confirm the number of public servants on payroll.
Public Service Minister Soroi Eoe told Parliament yesterday through his ministerial statement that the audit had started with the Department of Works, Hela administration, Western Highlands health authority and the National Agriculture and Quarantine Authority.
Eoe said through a recognised team set-up of the DPM, audit would be the main focus as part of the implementation for special general order 11 of 2019.
He said it was estimated that savings of more than K40 million would be realised over three years through reforms.
Eoe said reform initiatives implemented included the abolishment of the Department of Public Enterprise and its functions were being absorbed into Kumul Consolidated Holdings. He said the Border Development Authority Act was repealed and the authority abolished.
The affected staff were currently being paid out and their assets being audited by the Department of Finance.
Another institution was the Office of Coastal Fisheries Development Agency which was abolished and its functions absorbed into the National Fisheries Authority.
The Office of Urbanisation has been abolished and the functions absorbed into the Department of Lands and Physical Planning.
The Office of Tourism, Art and Culture had been abolished and the tourism functions absorbed into the National Tourism Promotions Authority while the art and culture functions were absorbed into the National Cultural Commission.
The Cocoa and Coconut Institute has been reorganised and the research functions amalgamated.