By Michelle Steven – EMTV News, Port Moresby
Yesterday, Minister for Education, Nick Kuman responded to demands made by the Papua New Guinea Teachers Association on the three percent pay rise.
The Teaching Service Salary Fixation Agreement gives a three percent increase annually for 2017, 2018 and 2019. This equates to a total of nine percent that should have been adjusted to the teachers’ salaries over the last three years, however the government did not budget for it in 2017 and 2018.
Mr Kuman said, that there was a problem with the payroll system and as a result teachers where faced with all these issues of not getting their pay rise. He explained that to reconfigure the whole system will mean completely changing everything.
In addition, he said lump sum payments will be made per region, for all teachers.
