Recruits given two weeks

Source: The National, Tuesday 17th April 2012 By YVONNE HAIP PUBLIC servants selected for positions within the Southern Highlands administration have been told to take office within two weeks. Deputy administrator Dr Bravy Koensong called for acceptance letters to be returned because a complete manpower audit and roll-call on the public service would be carried out. He said lax attitude towards work would not be tolerated. Koensong said the provincial public service machinery had deteriorated because of poor performance of staff. He said the public service needed to be united to improve and restore all services in Southern Highlands. He said a payroll audit would be done to remove ghost names on the payroll and other financial responsibilities. He said the payroll, would be brought back to Mendi from Waigani and the relevant government departments and institutions would help ensure this. He claimed indivi­duals had walked off with more than K200,000 as a result of the payroll being hijacked. Koensong called on all public servants to move into the province within two weeks. He said those who were not in office during the roll-call would be dealt with through normal disciplinary processes. He said a complete restructure of the province had begun and would continue until December. Koensong said by January and February next year, jobs within the administration would be on the market. He said public servants who had been lazy would have to find employment elsewhere.