The police are working despite what the opposition says

Over the past 18 months, more than 400 police officers found to be substandard and involved in corrupt activities and abuse of force have been dismissed.

Police Minister Peter Tsiamalili Jr. said this in response to a question from opposition leader Douglas Tomuriesa, who questioned the educational qualifications of police chief David Manning.

“I find it unfortunate and insulting how the leader of the opposition has made outrageous claims about public service appointments made by the Marape-Rosso government.”

“This government has in fact created mechanisms to measure the effectiveness and transparency of government officials through the introduction of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).”

This is the first time in our history that senior civil servants, including ministers by the way, are subject to KPIs. This means that our seniors have standards that they have to adhere to or they will lose their jobs, he added.

“As for the RPNGC, there has never been an effective system to ensure delivery of tasks according to job descriptions, and discipline has long been lacking. Under the leadership of Commissioner Manning, with the full support of this government, the police leadership is showing measurable performance.”

I therefore call on the good leader of the opposition to be more objective and accurate in his comments, the minister said.

Opposition leader Douglas Tomuriesa and the Alternative Government is concerned and alarmed by the way the Marape-Rosso government is appointing people to head government departments and other state institutions, including state-owned companies.

“A key example of this is the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary, where the Commissioner was appointed ahead of other more qualified and deserving candidates. The state of the RPNGC and the lawlessness crisis in PNG now bear witness to and confirm the concerns raised about his appointment.”