A media statement by the Hon. ROBERT HAMAL SAWA, MHR, Minister for Personnel Management and Administrative Services

Late last year I updated members of the public on important work undertaken by the Department of Personnel Management and Administrative Services in relation to the audit of the ABG public service payroll.

At the same time I briefed parliament on the findings of the audit an committed as Minister, to doing all that I could to ensure that the recommendations of the audit were implemented in full.

Today I announce that while work has not progressed as quickly as we would have hoped that significant achievements have been made.

With the support of the National Government Departments of Finance and Personnel Management a comprehensive review of the ABG public service payroll has now taken place.

This work has shown that some 600 ghosts were making claims against the Bougainville taxpayer for work not undertaken. In real terms, this represents a cost to government of around K700, 000 per fortnight, or more than K12 million per year.

As a consequence of this work, the ABG payroll has now been adjusted to ensure that only those who are employed draw a salary. At the same time I intend to take this matter up with my national government counterpart to ensure that the savings identified in the audit are paid to the ABG as part of the recurrent unconditional grant as prescribed by law. This will allow these funds be re-directed to important economic and social initiatives that directly benefit the people of Bougainville.

As Minister for Personnel Management and Administrative Services I stand by my commitment to eradicate corruption from the ABG public service and to do everything in my power to ensure that those responsible for this mass fraud are held to account.

I will update the public and the parliament further on this matter as work proceeds.

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