Senior provincial officers from the Department of Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs signed contracts for their new roles.
Eleven of the twenty newly appointed Senior Provincial Monitoring Officers from the Department of Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs, deployed to provinces, have officially signed their employment contracts.
DPLGA Secretary, Philip Leo, announced that the officers are the first appointees to fill newly created positions established under the Department’s recent organisational restructure.
“The deployment of the SPMOs is a key initiative under the Reset@50 Agenda, aimed at strengthening governance, accountability and service delivery throughout the country,” Leo said.
“Taking the oath is a serious commitment to the nation. Public officers must uphold transparency, accountability and honesty, especially within a system that has historically faced governance challenges.
“This oath is not merely an administrative act; it is a pledge to serve with integrity and responsibility. We have the power and the laws to make a difference. It is time to reset and rebuild trust with our people,” Leo added.
He called for a renewed commitment to reorganising, rebuilding and upholding high standards in the public service, beginning with personal accountability.
Secretary Leo reminded the officers that by signing their contracts and taking their oath, they were making a solemn commitment to the nation.
“Your commitment is built on transparency, accountability and integrity. Any breach of your contract or oath of office will result in immediate termination,” he said.
He explained that the responsibilities of the SPMOs are grounded in Section 110(3) of the Organic Law on Provincial Governments and Local-level Governments.
He further announced that through a Memorandum of Understanding between DPLGA and Certified Practising Accountants Papua New Guinea (CPA PNG), the officers will undertake basic audit training to strengthen their capacity to conduct preliminary audit inspections and compliance monitoring.
The remaining nine SPMOs are expected to sign their contracts at a later date. The SPMO inspectors will work closely with Provincial Administrators, District Administrators, LLG Presidents, LLG Managers, CEOs of DDAs, Provincial Health Authorities, SPAs and City Authorities to strengthen compliance, restore accountability and strengthen provincial-district-LLG linkages.
Their role is not to police provinces, but to support, verify, assist and strengthen governance systems so that service delivery reaches communities fairly and consistently.
