By Rayon Lakingu – EMTV News, Port Moresby
The National Planning Minister Richard Maru says teachers who do not have a National Identity Card will not be paid.
Speaking at the recent opening of a New NID Facility in NCD, Minister Maru said all teachers must be registered by the end of March this year.
This comes as the Education Department was one of the first to partner with the PNG Civil Identity Registry to roll out the NID project, that will see more than 60 thousand teachers and officers from this department directly registered.
The registration of the National Identification card is part of the implementation of the One Person, One Pay & One Pay Slip Policy for public servants.
“Clearly, we have a target this year, to reach no less than two million people right across the country,” the National Planning Minister said, “Starting with all public servants. Starting with teachers first. We have a program now which we launched with the Education minister and the Secretary. By March all teachers must be registered in Papua New Guinea”
From past experience, many ghost names were being paid through the Education Department.
Minister Maru said through this NID exercise, teachers who are not registered and do not have a NID Card will not be paid.
Members from the Education Department and PNGCIR are now travelling around the country to have all teachers registered.
“No ID – no pay. Teachers in the outside centers, you need to get registered or else you will not be on the payroll. Message is clear, the government wants all public servants to have an ID.
Meanwhile, Minister Maru also revealed plans to have the NID used in the 2022 National Elections.
”My own intentions is that, if you don’t have an ID you don’t vote in the 2022 elections and I’m hoping that the Electoral Commission will agree with what Planning is saying, we should use only one card for all
our citizens and that’s the National ID” Minister Maru said.
Through the NID project, Enga Province will be the first to have all its districts roll out the NID project, with Minister Maru thanking the Enga Provincial Government for the Initiative, and also called on other government departments to partner with NID.
Related article (s):
https://emtv.com.pg/education-department-signs-mou-for-nationwide-teacher-nid-registration/
