Cultural Commission to be abolished by year’s end

Caption: Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tkatchenko and NMAG Director Dr Andrew Moutu

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, February 28, 2016 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

MINISTER for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Justin Tkatchenko, announced the amalgamation of the National Cultural Commission (NCC) with the National Museum and Art Gallery (NMAG) by the year’s end.

As one of his first major ministerial directive to reform the tourism and cultural sector since taking office last month, the minister issued directives to both organizations sanctioned by the National Executive Council.

“As of today I have written to the minister of public service and the secretary and also to the heads of National Cultural Commission and the National Museum and Arts Gallery instructing that the National Cultural Commission will be abolished and put under the National Museum.”

“For many years we have had a setup where it has been top heavy. Too many chiefs and not enough indians.”

“This is because I feel that there is duplication involved under this. It is also an NEC decision that we must amalgamate departments together that will be more productive and efficient.”

Tkatchenko said that with amalgamation under one board and one director- the NCC with the NMAG will work in one to achieve more, while achieving Government objectives to make the public service more productive and accountable.

“We estimate that we can save at least K4 million a year by bringing the departments together, because when you look at putting together both institutions the savings in due course is about that amount.”

He said that the amalgamation would not affect the organization of the NMAG, but will evolve it to cater for the NCC, which will be folded into the national museum.

“We have to pay out a lot of the National Cultural Commission staff that are either going to be retrenched or redundant in that regard. That will be something that will be determined as the structure is put in place,” the minster stated.

“I would like to see final structure which as light as possible as there is no use in amalgamating the two if you are just going to put the same amount of people across, that is not the practice of what we are trying to achieve.”

“So say for example they have 100 odd staff now, which includes casuals, we would like to see that more than cut down by half.”

He added that positions are to be qualified and certified to fill those positions to do the right thing for the benefit the reformed institution.

“These are very important institutions and we can’t have wantoks and friends of the family filling all these positions and they don’t know what the hell they are doing.”

“There might be a name change in respect to the Museum of Arts and Culture to cater for the national cultural commission.”

The minister revealed that the plan to amalgamate was made before his appointment to the ministerial portfolio but had never been carried out.

“This process is not going to happen overnight. There is a lot of consultation with the public service commission, with the museum board, the trustees, and everybody to ensure that we get the correct structure and the mix right.”

“And I would like to see that concluded by the end of the year so that everybody can get on with their job and promote our wonderful country’s traditions and culture and keep on upgrading the national museum.”

“Once we get our final structure put in place, working with the public service commission it will go to NEC for a final decision and Parliament for any legislative changes if necessary.”