Groups: Give PAC greater power

THE Civil Society Organisation forum in Madang says the Public Accounts Committee should be given  greater power to prosecute those in government institutions found breaching the Public Finances Management Act and abusing their responsibilities.
Andrew Mapio, representative of the forum in the Madang provincial government, made the call last week following the recent PAC Inquiry into the Madang administration.
Mapio praised the inquiry but did not agree with Bogia MP and PAC chairman John Hickey saying it was something the province needed.
He said while it was a “check and balance” on the province he questioned what would become of the findings, describing it “totally appalling” for a public administration.
He said the inquiry should now become a “wake-up call” for the provincial administration to clean up its act and polish areas needing careful attention and improvement.
In a statement, Mapio was particular about the so-called provincial corporate plan, the Kalibobo Vision 2020, which, he said, was done in complete isolation with not much input from other sections, done by a consultant who was a local and who was overseas now on a job posting. No one had a copy of it.
“Where is this mystery document which cost K100,000 to do? We, the people, deserve to know. Do we, as a province, have a plan like others or are we feeling about in the dark like the blind and guessing our way like we are doing now with all things,” Mapio asked.