Bougainville Affairs office not seen or felt: Review

Caption: Bougainville Affairs Minister, Joe Lera, speaking to parliament.

 

By MATTHEW VARI

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




IN a statement on the strengthening capacity of the National Coordinating Office of Bougainville Affairs (NCOBA)- Minister responsible, Joe Lera, has highlighted the lack of understanding on the ground of core functions of the organisation, when presenting a statement on the findings of the review.

Conducted in May 2016, Mr Lera said the review found numerous anomalies or shortfalls that have attributed to NCOBA not delivering as it is supposed to.

Created by a National Executive Council (NEC) decision in 2007, reconstituting the Bougainville Peace and Restoration Office- he said issues pertaining to key policy directives were never actioned.

“A detailed NEC submission encompassing all policy directions inclusive of NCOBA’s own Act that would provide a clear legal basis for its existence, prepare a public investment project of National Bougainville Support Initiatives, review of the structure of the new office and make recommendations, develop a road map for autonomy restoration development and referendum, and establish a resource center to support activities to promote awareness and build capacity in cooperation with other government agencies,” he said.

“NCOBA’s role as the coordinating office of Bougainville affairs was never really understood what it was going to coordinate.”

“Coordinating implementation of pillars of the Bougainville peace agreement and they are autonomy, governance, weapons disposal, referendum, and the socioeconomic restoration and development which were not defined properly.”

He also pointed out in the findings that as per NEC decision directed for the review of the NCOBA 2007 organisational structure and report back to NEC within four weeks but was never done.

“The review established that there currently are three different organisational structures since 2007. First structure was dated 12th November 2007 had the Department of Personnel Management (DPM) approved structure.”

“Second organisational structure was undated and not approved by DPM. Third organisational structure consists of 36 positions, which, 16 additional positions mostly administrative positions are not approved by DPM.”

“The unapproved structures did not add significance to improve capacity but added more confusion in the roles and responsibilities.”

Mr Lera said as a result the lax of understanding of NCOBA’s mandate and lack of technical capacity that the organisation did not have the appropriate mix of skills to effectively and efficiently carry out its mandate.

He told parliament the review findings and recommendations would be addressed and operationalize all policy directions that were never implemented.