Marape acts on advice over payment

 ACTING Education Minister James Marape has clarified that funds allocated to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is with the Education Department.

He was responding to a query by Yori Yei, the secretary-general of PNG UNESCO on why the Department of Treasury released the warrant for payment to his office to the Education department. 

He blamed Marape for putting on hold the warrants for this year.

Marape said he did not hold back the warrants and was only acting on the decision of the National Executive Council and Parliament after the office of UNESCO was amalgamated with the Education department.

Yei said in a letter addressed to the secretary for Treasury Dairi Vele that he was a Section 32 officer with the UNESCO office as per the Public Finance Management Act. He said therefore he should be accorded theauthority and powers to access finances.

He said Chief Secretary Sir Manasupe Zurenuoc restored his Section 32 financial powers in July 2013.

He said the court had also reinstated his financial powers and would go again there if the warrants were not released to his office.

Marape said UNESCO had been amalgamated with the department of Education since 2012.

“We are now directing warrants through education to look after UNESCO work programmes in 2014 and beyond,” he said.

“Hence no one is stopping UNESCO funding but we are channeling it through a parliament and cabinet sanctioned process.”