Staff train in preparation for 10th parliament

By DEMAS TIEN
Staff from the committee secretariat and Parliamentary Services are undergoing a two-day workshop in Port Moresby in preparation for the 10th Parliament following the general election.
Acting Clerk of Parliament Kala Aufa said the workshop was timely and invaluable because the there would be new leaders elected into the Parliament after the election.
Aufa said it was incumbent on the staff of the Parliament committee secretariat to be properly prepared to guide the new leaders on their roles and responsibilities in the various committees in Parliament.
The workshop, which started yesterday and will end today, is focused on professional development for Parliamentary committees.
It was funded by the New Zealand Government through the New Zealand Aid programme under the Pacific Parliamentary Effectiveness Initiative (PPEI) and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
New Zealand High Commission policy adviser Cynthia Duoribi said the goal of the PPEI was to strengthen, among others, the effectiveness and accountability of parliaments, to improve the work of parliamentary secretariats, to improve parliamentary budget debate and increase the participation of women in politics.
Duoribi said the New Zealand government was keen to help Papua New Guinea make these improvements.