Teachers’ payroll issue blamed on lack of data

The lack of sufficient and proper teacher data and audit in the provinces is one of the reasons behind the teachers’ payroll issue, says PNG Teachers’ Association general secretary Ugwailubu Mowana.
He said the data had not been updated to keep a proper record of their work and entitlements.
“There is no updated record on how many teachers are teaching in the province, how many teachers are on the payroll, how many graduates are teaching, how many have been paid, how many have not being paid. Many teachers are not on the payroll: Teachers transferred from another province, teachers returning from studies, teachers on auto suspension in April and new graduates.”
He said the longest a teacher had not been paid was 10 years – an elementary teacher in East New Britain.
“This shows that the entire delivery of teachers’ salaries and entitlements is a big flaw in the management of teacher’s salary. Both with the Alesco payroll and in the provinces,” he said. East New Britain is the first province involved in the roll-out of the Alesco payroll system but it has 171 elementary teachers not on the payroll.
The Teaching Service Commission has been tasked to check with provinces how many teachers are on the payroll, how many are not on the payroll, and to get the teachers paid next week.
“We want those teachers whose salaries had been deducted in the last three fortnights to be reimbursed,” Mowana said.