By Theckla Gunga – EM TV News, Port Moresby
The Papua New Guinea Defense Force says the political commitment made to pay PNGDF members an additional 300 kina per day for APEC Security Allowances, must be allowed to take its course.
PNGDF Chief of Staff, Captain Philip Polewara, said this today (26 December, 2018) following concerns on outstanding APEC allowances raised by PNGDF members in Port Moresby.
The question on whether an additional K300 per day will be paid to all members of the Joint Security Task Force remains a government commitment for now but the uncertainty raised by PNGDF Members has been put forward to the PNGDF Chief of Force Preparations and the secretary for Defence to take up at the political level.
Captain Philip Polewara said the PNGDF Financial system has shut down on the 14th of December but the Chief of Defence Force and the Secretary are fully aware of their concerns are in touch with Waigani on the progress.
He added that any new developments in regard to the matter will be relayed through the Chief of Staff to the Unit Commanding Officers.
Initially the amount agreed upon for APEC Allowances by Commander of JSTF Gari Baki was K200 per day for the 18 days of providing security during APEC Economic Week.
In total each member is supposed to have received K9,000 each.
For PNGDF, about 80 percent have received that allowance.
Now the K300 per day comes from an another commitment made at the political level. Under this Agreement, each JSTF member will be paid K500 per day instead of the K200 per day allowance which was approved by JSTF.
PNGDF Deputy JSTF Commander Opa Lari literates that the k300 was a commitment from the leaders and not the JSTF and urged the JSTF members to allow the process to follow through.
