Ex-soldiers get entitlements

The 185 Group of the PNG Defence Force (PNGDF) ex-servicemen, which is the second approved group by the state are currently receiving their entitlements at the PNGDF headquarters at Murray barracks.
It was understood the payout started last Tuesday and was progressing smoothly with more than 100 ex-servicemen already paid.
According to chief of personnel Col Paul Mai, they were also paying members from the first group (334) who had not received their entitlements.
The payouts were scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“We have no problems so far. The only hiccup we face is with the widows and the next of kin. However, all have been sorted out by the group leaders,” he said.
Mai added that the leaders were cooperating to identify widows and the next of kin, which was a good sign and payments should be completed before the end of the month.
However, he revealed that they had not received a proper list for the ex-colonial group, which was the next group to be paid.
“The leaders are not cooperating well. We asked for a list but, so far we have not received any. If this is the case, we will then use the list that will come from the Australian government,” he said.
He said they had written a formal letter requesting for the list of the ex-colonial personnel’s from the Australian national museum through the Australian High Commission last year, adding if the leaders of the ex-colonial group did not come up with a confirmed name list, they would refer to the Australian list.