NATIONAL PARLIAMENT OF
PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE TRANSCRIPT
Inquiry into the 2007 Supplementary
Appropriation Bill 2007 - Head 283: Ministry of Police and National Security
(Uncorrected
Version subject to changes upon revision)
Chairman: I welcome you to this very important
meeting. The purpose of this meeting is
for us to enquire into the Supplementary Appropriation 2007 and as you know we
started last week but it did not work out and today I think we got our final
figures and we are doing our job as provided for in section 62 of the
Constitution, and the relevant Standing Orders of this Parliament. Before we start, there are three members of
the committee that are here, Hon Koli, Hon Fono and myself and two other
colleagues I am sure one of them will be joining us a little bit later. Before we start our enquiry I think we need
to offer a word of prayer.
Opening prayer by Chairman, Hon Gukuna
Hon Gukuna
(Chairman): Before we enquire into this
Supplementary Bill I will call upon the Permanent Secretary who is the first to
be queried this morning. After the
Police it is going to be National Judiciary Head 296 and then the Ministry of
Finance. Thank you PS for coming.
Mr G Hiele (PS): To start with I would like to turn to page 2
of my explanatory notes under Repair of the Police Club. The head should be 0150. As you have rightly said, Mr Chairman, this
is the second time we have appeared before the PAC Committee. I have previously distributed some of the
explanations to justify our bids for additional supplementary provisions. I have also given you our up to date
explanatory notes on what appears in the 2007 Supplementary Bill.
The Ministry Supplementary budget to
carry out its functions to
Ministry
Headquarters $1,467,000.00
SI
Police Force $3,620,935.00
SI
Prison Service $3,140,000.00
Total as it
appears in the Bill $8,227,935.00
In the handout I have distributed
there are explanations as to the justification as to why we require additional
funding. I shall start with the Ministry
headquarter with office expenses we need an additional $30,000 to get us
through to the end of the year. On Staff
Travel and Transport we need an additional $10,000.00, and the point that needs
to be noted there is the amendment to the General Orders which authorizes the
amount of $1,000.00 traveling allowance for all Public Servants when they go on
leave were not taken into consideration when the 2007 budget was approved. The amendment came late.
Motor Vehicles the Ministry has acquired
three double Cabin Hiluxes early this year facilitated by the Ministry of
Finance and the amount of $594,000 is to regularize this expenditure.
House Rent the Central Property
Unit has entered into 139 Tenancy Agreements on behalf of Police and National
Security officers which costs $2.067million for 2007.
With the escalating rents especially
in Honiara this amount was insufficient and couple with the fact that there are
still new applications pending for Government Rentals amounting to $195,000, the
Department needs $843,000 on rentals to get us through to the end of this year.
Civil Service Salaries this is
basically reveling which started in January 2005, in which officers were
brought into their right salary levels and increments. Not all officers were put under their right
salaries and increments. The amount
requested $2.8million is for 457 Police Officers to rectify the situation.
Finally for the Police there is the
repair of the Police Club and this is a new item under a new subhead 0150 for
$750,000. You may ask why a renovation
or the Police Club is necessary, this is part and partial of instilling discipline
to the Police Officers. The renovation
will enable Police Officers to hold functions in their own premises rather than
going out mixing with the public. But
the Police Club will also be used for other official occasions.
Repair
of Office Buildings $98,250.00
The explanations are very clear. Two long-term involvement in improving the
surrounding environment of the Prisons, drinking water, kitchen, repairs and
servicing of air-conditioning and fire extinguishes.
Repair
of Government Housing we have asked for $260,750.00. This covers improvement to Lata and Kira Kira
Staff housing. Freeze for Kira Kira
Prison and the temporary accommodation of our officers in Gizo at Rekona Lodge.
Upkeep of Stations this again is
general maintenance and upkeep of our Office Buildings.
Staff Travel and Transport I have
mentioned that today that the $1,000.00 Leave Allowance was not budgeted for
and this is why we need an additional $639,000 to get us through to the end of
the year.
Maintenance of Vehicles $135,000 is
requested to replace what was vired to code 230142150 to purchase two new
vehicles.
Office Equipments we require an
additional $104,900 for a Photo Copier for Central Prison. Replacement of two computers desktops and a
new desktop for Stores.
Uniforms this is to purchase
additional uniforms. The Prison Officers
have not been allocated new uniforms since 2005 and also if the new Correction
Bill is passed by Parliament to the Solomon Islands Correction Services we need
to replace the badges for the Prison Officers.
Motor Vehicles $824,000 is
required. As you can see SIPS have
returned to Infrastructure five (5) vehicles which have been put on
tender. SIPS urgently need replacement
on these vehicles to carry out its duties effectively and efficiently as
follows:-
-
Three
4WD Double Cabin Hiluxes
-
One
Bus
The list budgeted for in 2007 and
this request is to enable the purchase for replacement of the vehicles and
finally on rations.
The SI Prison Service request
$180,100.00 to get us through to the end of the year. The reason for this is that you can see that the
general increase in the price of Food items and the recommitment of 2006 LPOs
in 2007 commitments. That is what I have
given you in the briefs and if there are any questions that you want to raise I
have my Financial Advisor and the Chief Accountant of the Ministry would assist
in answering your questions.
Hon Gukuna
(Chairman): Thank you PS that is the
report from the PS and if we have any queries from the Committee.
Hon Fono: Chairman, I thank the PS of the Ministry of
Police and National Security and also Budget Unit for seeing it fit to increase
the requirements as I have stated in our previous meeting that law and order
should be priority of any government in power because it brings stability on investor
confidence to the nation. Like the first
supplementary budget that we looked at previously was only the renovation of
the Police Club that was in the budget so I still question your priority. Now we could see there are quite a lot of
recurrent expenditure that is needed for the Police to continue the enforcement
of law and order until end of the year.
So I would like to thank Finance or Budget as if they are the ones
giving allocation or approvals before it reaches Cabinet.
Having said that I have one question
that I would like to ask is on the head Repairs to Government Housing. Is Rekona Lodge owns by the Government? And that is the reason why we provide
allocation for the repairing of the damages caused by Tsunami or is it a
private own Lodge?
Mr Hiele
(PS): Thank you Mr Chairman. Yes you are quite right Rekona Lodge is a
privately owned lodge. The rent for the
Prison Officers is built into the upkeep of stations so that is the reason why
this is included under the Repair of Office Buildings and repair of government
housing.
Hon Gukuna
(Chairman): I just want to ask about the
virement you made from vehicle maintenance subhead 25.0. You vired $135,000.00. Was that for these two vehicles that appeared
under subhead 3010? Was that used for
these vehicles or different vehicles?
Mr G Hiele
(PS): They are different.
Mr J Alaki
(CA): Early this year Prison Service
have vired two vehicles but there was a shortfall in the budget so they vired
that.
Hon Gukuna
(Chairman): The Civil Service Salaries
the supplementary amount seems so big I would have thought that this amount
should have appeared in the budget proposing that you are saying that it
started in 2004 so that should have been properly budgeted for in the original but
it just a comment but I thought that this sort of plan cost should have
appeared in the proper budget but it appears as supplementary at the moment. Was it a matter of timing or was this overseeing?
Mr G Hiele
(PS): I think it was the timing. The exercise was implemented half way and you
know it was taken by time. But the
amount may appear to be quite big because of the fact that it was backdated to
2005 and also takes into account they have a special duty allowance as well.
Hon Fono: There was a demand from the Officers that
were serving at the Border or in the Border area during the
Mr G Hiele
(PS): Cabinet approved $3.85million to
cater for this particular claim by Ex Police Officers. In the 2007 budget just over $2million was
approved and the officers were already been paid as far as I am aware of. Perhaps my Advisor would like to say
something.
Advisor: $2.5million was in the budget and the
additional I think it was taken from within the
of the Police Payroll. So the $2.5million was in the budget and the
additional $1.3million.
Hon Fono: So that has been paid.
Advisor: Yes.
Hon Fono: It is just a one of payment.
Mr G Hiele
(PS): Yes, just a one of payment. The whole amount is just a one of payment in
recognition of their duties at the border during the height of the tension.
Hon Fono: The other question that I would like to ask
is just also now move to compensate those voluntarily submitted their guns or
their weapons during the 2003 period that successive governments have been trying
to as I do not see this in the main budget and also in the supplementary. What is the government position on that?
Mr G Hiele
(PS): Thank you Mr Chairman. Yes, I must admit that, that is the long
drawn issue and those license land owners who voluntary gave up their lands
have been requesting some form of compensation.
We are currently in the process of discussing this issue with the
..
and the Coordinator. We have not come up
with any pre-resolution as yet but the government is very mindful of this issue
and trying all its best to try and resolve.
Hon Fono: The subhead of House Rents The budget of
$2million and you are asking for an additional $843,000.00 knowing that the
Housing for Police is very important.
What is the current status of the Government acquiring allocating land
for Police housing as alluded to by the honourable Prime Minister so that may
be in the long run, this recurrent cost will be reduced because Police will
have its own Housing Estate and that would get rid of this Tenancy award. The Open market rental is becoming very very
expensive at the moment. What can the PS
say about that?
Mr G Hiele (PS): There is a continuous effort by the Ministry
to acquire land in
Chairman: I think we are happy we have no other
questions. It is well explained unless
anybody else has something to say I think we have covered these subheads. I want to thank the PS for coming and his
officials thank you very much and thank you for your presentation.
Mr G Hiele
(PS): Thank you.