Pay rise for police unfair, says leader

THE Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed between the police commissioner and PNG Police Association on Wednesday to formalise salary and allowance increments for the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) has drawn concerns from the National Board of Disabled Persons.
This was a big injustice to the entire public service, chairman of the National Board of Disabled Persons, Brown Kapi said yesterday.
Mr Kapi said from an observer’s point of view, the pay increase in the RPNGC would be very unfair to others in the public services.
He said policing was a vital job and although police did their jobs well, the same pay rise should also be given to teachers, nurses, doctors, accountants and the rest of the public servants in the country who also performed in their duties fittingly.
He added that if a constable graduated from the Bomana College after training and began with a salary of K700, which he claimed was a degree holder’s position and rated about Grade 10 or 11, it would be a very huge injustice in comparison to others beginning with a starting salary of K300.
“Now where is the justice in this?” Mr Kapi asked.
He questioned how personnel management would also complement other public services, whom he said should also be treated fairly as well.
Mr Kapi said it was also time the Government recognised persons with disability, adding that they made up 10% of PNG’s total population, which was about 60,000 people.
He challenged the Government to place people with disability on a scheme such as a dole on a fortnightly basis which could support them and made further calls for the Government to have them included in other mainstream such as health, employment and others.   
Mr Kapi also called on the Department of Community Development to facilitate a stand alone legislation that would promote and protect the rights of people with disabilities and to rectify and fast tract the signing of the UN convention rights.