PNGDF payroll issues ‘rectified’

DEFENCE Minister Dr Billy Joseph says last week’s payroll issues that affected the salaries of 263 Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) personnel have been rectified.
“Those who have bank accounts with Bank South Pacific (Financial Group Limited) have been fully paid with a total of K201,323.63 remitted into their individual bank accounts,” he said.
Joseph said those with accounts at other banks would be paid this week.
He said while there was no “lack of command and control in our military”, he had instructed the Defence Department to provide a report to him explaining “why all payroll files were not provided to (the) Finance (Department)” and for “appropriate actions to be taken to prevent future recurrence of the same issue”. Joseph added that a payroll audit of the force would follow.
He said the welfare and wellbeing of PNGDF personnel were paramount, and they were taking all the necessary steps to ensure the problem did not happen again.
Joseph thanked the affected personnel for respecting the rule of law and chain of command.
“I also thank the acting PNGDF chief, Commodore Philip Polewara, Defence Department secretary Hari John Akipe, the branch heads, and the respective commanding officers in the PNGDF,” he said.
Joseph acknowledged the finance and personnel management department secretaries and their teams for ensuring the pay issues were rectified.
He reiterated that the PNGDF was a disciplined institution, with a strict chain of command and any ill-discipline within the country’s military would not be tolerated.
“We must always remember we are not a civilian organisation with rights to protest union powers,” Joseph said.
“Any grievance must be channelled through the chain of command, and we are here to address those issues.”