Powi: 248 names on payroll removed

By JAMES APA GUMUNO
CONFIDENCE in the Southern Highlands public machinery is being restored with 248 bogus names on the payroll system now removed, provincial administrator William Powi says.
He said public servants in the provincial administration down to the districts were now performing.
He said he had made changes since taking office in May 2006.
“The province was not like this in the past 25 years when public servants could be seen doing nothing in Mendi, Mt Hagen or Port Moresby and simply collected their salaries,” he said.
He told people at Memoi oval in Mendi town last Friday that during his five-year term, he and like-minded Southern Highlanders “have redirected the province to prosperity”.
He said he had removed 248 ghost names on the payroll, appointed a senior management team to lead, ensured public servants were at work at all times, established the 2007 provincial election steering committee, delivered the 2007 general election, delivered Komo-Margarima by-election, successfully conducted and completed the election of ward councillors, devised strategies for fiscal discipline including all expenditure to be strictly budget driven and many other changes.
He said his administration had implemented many infrastructure pro­jects and helped provincial and national governments with their implementation over the four years.
Powi said this after cri­tics questioned his performance in the service delivery and restoration of governance in the province.