Disaster workers locked out as offices close because of unpaid rent

National Disaster Coordination Centre officers are among public servants being locked out of their offices in Port Moresby for the non-payment of rent.
The centre comes under the Department of Provincial and Local Level Government housed at the Kitpeng Building in Waigani Central.
Questions were sent yesterday to Minister for Inter-Government Relations Kevin Isifu, Secretary Dickson Guina and Finance Secretary Dr Ken Ngangan on the matter.
Director of the National Disaster Office Martin Mose confirmed that they had been locked out because of the non-payment of rent.
He told The National last night that there was an arrangement with the management of the property to allow workers back into the building.
When contacted yesterday, Budget Real Estate which manages the building, said they would respond later on the matter.
An officer of the department said they were refused entry by security officers when they turned up to work yesterday.
“Officers were instructed not to enter their offices including the National Disaster Coordination Centre,” the officer said.
“The building was locked up on Friday. Even we asked the security guards to enter our offices to retrieve some of our personal items, they said no. It is really sad when the staff of the National Disaster Coordination Centre are locked out when they are needed to coordinate the disaster management of the earthquake which hit Southern Highlands, Hela, Western, Enga and Western Highlands, and volcano-affected Kadovar Island in East Sepik”.
The officer said all the divisions of the department were housed on the five floors.
The National Disaster Coordination Centre is on the first floor.
“The Treasury Department takes care of the rental payments to the landlord and has not paid rental since December, resulting in arrears of K1.5 million.”