Do your job: Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs Minister, Soroi Eoe

Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs Minister Soroi Eoe says ward members must fulfill their duties on a day-to-day basis after being put on government salary.

Ward members or councilors in Papua New Guinea and community government leaders in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville will be paid every fortnight.

Minister Eoe says ward councilors play an important role and should be vigorously committed to develop their communities.

“To all our elected local level government leaders and ABG Community government leaders I want to emphasize the importance of your roles in our communities throughout Papua New Guinea and ABG,” Eoe said during the launch of the ward councilors salary early this week.

“Now that you’re on a fortnightly salary just like any elected leaders and public servants, we expect you to be actively present in your respective wards fulfilling your responsibility on daily basis.”

The move to put the third-tier arm of government on the payroll will build capacity of the ward councilors system.

Mr Eoe says this agenda has been discussed overtime but due to challenges faced in the resource sector, the implementation was delayed.

“For a very long time it has been a discussion, I guess because of resource reason and other reasons that this important third tier government has not been really looked at,” the Kikori MP said.

With the government boasting to provide services and better economy through the highly esteemed connect PNG program, minister Eoe believes the ward system will play a critical role in pushing for change in rural parts of the country. 

“It is vitally important that government’s focus must be changed and redirected to where 80 or 90 per cent of our people are,” he said.

“You develop the ward system, you develop the provincial government system, you develop PNG.”