Fares system over decentralized: Kuman

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, February 15, 2015 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

THAT was the response from Education Minister Nick Kuman during question time in parliament on Friday.

Wosera Gaui MP Joseph Yopyyopy called for the sacking of all those involved in the disbursement of leave fares from the department.

“When are you going to start sacking those officers in charge of leave fares? It has occurring for the last 15 to 20 years and the buck stops with your officers sitting at Fincorp Haus and not remitting the money that is for the teachers fares to province,” Yopyyopy said.

“I think the teachers will expect nothing less than sacking the officers. If we talk about the quality of education if we look at teachers and incentives like leave fares for them to travel back and forth I think those are the things that will give them boost.”

Minister Kuman, however, in his response pointed out that the sacking of officers from his department was not the way as the roles and responsibilities were spread out far beyond the department.

“It is the process that we need to understand why the problem has kept on going for a while,” Kuman said.

“The decentralization of education responsibility to the provinces and of course you know that it is an over decentralized provision.”

“Every provincial government looks after teachers’ welfare except for Waigani we look after the salaries and wages which is also being managed by treasury.”

He said that Education Department officials were not involved in giving any money for teachers, which he wanted to make sure on record.

“Annually we account and budget for teachers leave fares and those monies have been remitted to the provinces all 22 provinces in the country- the problem we have is if the money comes out in May or June the teachers will get entitlements at the later part of the academic year so they can go for holiday when the school closes,” the minister explained.

“When the warrant comes out in the later part of October and November those monies are still being remitted to the 24 provinces in PNG.”

“Last year we got warrants in the later part of October totaling K26.1 million. That amount not even a single toea remains in Waigani as all funds were remitted to the provincial treasuries.”

He said that with the exception of Western and Chimbu province, every other province were all paid out to the teachers and of course the Ganim Report has gone through the issue that will be tabled in the coming week of sitting.