Solomon: Office not ready to break away from department

THE Office of Religion requires a policy and law to be elevated to a departmental status, Religion, Youth and Community Development secretary Anna Solomon says.
In response to calls for the office to be separated from the Department of Community Development, Solomon said the office was not ready to operate as a separate ministry or department.
“The Office of Religion was established three years ago to enhance the partnership with government to deliver services to the people,” Solomon told The National.
“We don’t have a policy or a law in place yet. It’s a process that is yet to be completed.
“When we established the office three years ago, we had no funds,”
Solomon said the funds were still kept by Department of National Planning and Monitoring.
“We established this office with zero funding allocation.
“We reclassified six vacant funded positions to cater for the Office of Religion.” Solomon said the Government would always acknowledge the work of churches throughout the country
Since its inception, a national database of churches throughout PNG and the services provided had been established.
“The database now informs the Government on various services that it can partner with churches to deliver,” she said.
“The services range from health an education, inclusive of child protection, gender-based violence, disability and other community development programmes.”
One of the important functions of the Office of Religion is that it facilitates the annual public service dedication service which had been held for the last three years, Solomon said.