Kapavore confirms SHP’s acting admin

By LUKE KAMA
PUBLIC Service Minister Elias Kapavore has confirmed that Joseph Casjetan is the acting provincial administrator for Southern Highlands.
He was responding to a claim yesterday by Thomas Eluh, who was appointed by Cabinet as acting administrator last November for three months, that he was still holding the post.
Kapavore told The National that Eluh’s term expired on Feb 1, 2018. He was then replaced by Fibik Simon, one of the deputy administrators.
“The provincial executive council recently recommended Joseph Casjetan as acting administrator and the instrument for acting is now current,” Kapavore said.
He said Casjetan, a corporate manager with Eda Ranu, was appointed acting provincial administrator under General Order No. 10 on short-term national contracts.
Kapavore said his department would be in consultation with Governor William Powi in the transition process.
Meanwhile, Eluh yesterday urged the people in the province to maintain peace and remain calm as he was still the acting provincial administrator.
“Under the Public Service Management Act, an acting appointment will be for three months period and in my case, it will be from Nov 1, 2017, to Feb 1, 2018,” he said.
“But my appointment was made under special circumstances by the NEC.
“The clauses of my appointment state that I will be the acting provincial administrator until a permanent appointment is made.”