Recycling retired Public Servants in the Foreign Service


This week PNG has read through print and social media about PNGDF Commander Major General  Gilbert Toropo contract not renewed due to mandatory age requirements within the Public Service. 

Whilst this is an issue that is obviously politicized citing age limit as the determining factor. I would also like to highlight a related issue. In the same article announcing the sidelining of Commander Toropo, the Defence Council which is the recommending authority for appointment of PNGDF Commander also recommended Major Toropo to the National Executive Council for High Commissioner posts in Wellington, New Zealand for a period of 4 years.  What is obscuring is that Commander Toropo was retired from one Gov't institution citing age as the inhibiting factor and recommended to another Government agency to continue provide his service to the state, this is hypocrisy.

Our Embassies, High Commissions and the Consular Posts are the focal points of bringing development assistance, attract investors and marketing PNG and its products to other countries and International markets.  Active and vibrant officers within the Department of Foreign Affairs should be appointed to these positions.

 Reliable contacts within NEC has revealed in a recent cabinet decision that retired and former public servants were appointed to these important positions. 

PNG recently has gone through a very tumultuous  economic period, PNG has been running a deficit budget in the last 5 years and will continue to do so in years ahead. Marape/Basil Government is doing it's utmost best to save this nation from falling further into abyss. Such decisions only undermines the efforts of other hard working Gov't institutions to resurrect this country.

Our Embassies and High Commissions are the best conduit in channeling development assistances into PNG and provide market acess for our products abroad. Appointments to such positions must consider trained officers from DFA who are well groomed in the arts of negotiations and diplomacy .

NEC must never see these important positions as retirement job for their political cronies, past appointees and the recent appointments seems to be along this line of thinking.

It's further disappointing to note that Foreign Minister Soroi Eoe has appointed senior foreign affairs officers that recently retired due to age factor and were handsomely paid off by the state back into these important positions. This is disservice to serving officers. DFA Management should advocate to promote serving  officers into positions of responsibility. 

I  appeal to Marape/Basil Government to reconsider the appointments of retired officers and appoint officers that are currently serving that can add value to this nation when it is needed at the most.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and successful New year 2022.

Hins Saita

Waigani Swamp

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