Electoral Commission broke

By JASON DOM
THE Electoral Commission does not have any money to pay its outstanding bills to service providers.
Public relations officer Alphonse Muapi said they had advised their service providers that the commission was unable to pay its bills.
“We have put notices at our head office advising them that, until such time the Government appropriates funds to the PNG Electoral Commission purposely to settle the outstanding bills, we will do so,” he said.
A retired police officer from Chimbu, Louis Maugla, said he had waited for seven years to have his outstanding bills paid.
He said he signed a legal agreement with the Electoral Commission officers during the 2012 national election in Chimbu for the hire of his Toyota Land Cruiser for K800 a day for use during the election.
He said his vehicle was used between May and Sept 2012 and he had invoiced the commission for K122,400.
“I used my retirement pay to buy this vehicle, thinking that it would generate good income during the election,” Maugla said.
“We want the Electoral Commission to do the right thing by paying us what they owe for the services we provided.
“Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato’s responsibility is to source funds and settle our outstanding bills.”
Maugla is pleading to Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to intervene to see that the commission’s outstanding debt to its service providers was paid.