Teachers pay agreement not honoured because of Cash-flow problems : Kuman

PNG Education Minister Nick Kuman announced in Parliament yesterday that the Government was not able to implement the fixation agreement for teachers in 2017 because of cash-flow problems.
And Kuman has appealed to all MPs to help talk to the public servants in their electorates to make sure they understand the situation at hand.
The Education Minister was responding to questions raised by Wabag MP Dr Lino Tom who questioned why the Government has not honoured the teacher’s fixation agreement signed in 2016 with the PNG Teacher’s Association.
“We are not able to meet that obligation in 2017 because of the cash-flow problem, we all know that and at the later part of 2017, the Cabinet made a decision that the government will honour that commitment in 2018,” Mr Kuman said.
“And I was fully aware that one of the Opposition Members, Member for Sinasina Yongomugl asserted that this was not in the budget and the government will not meet the obligation including the teachers’ increment.
“The Government has taken action in the last couple of weeks just to make sure that we fix these problems and we are going to make sure that we stagger these payments in 2018.
“And the Department of Personnel Management has taken responsibility including the Unions of PNGTA and all our unions in the public sector.
“You will not see any lump sum payments, these payments will be staggered over a period and over payments that will take up to end of 2018.
“And 2019 onwards, if there is improvements in the cash flow, you will see some improvements in how we make those payments for these outstanding payments.
“This is the budget the government approved and you should be fully aware that we paid….explained the need to overhaul the public sector and it requires a bipartisan approach.
“I want the unions to be responsible as well.” Statement ....read more on : PNG Education News