Prudent management sees police operating within budget over last three years says Manning

Police Commissioner David Manning said prudent management practices has resulted in the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary operating within budget for the last three years.

Mr Manning said this is in comparison to the years prior where the Constabulary experienced huge budget blowouts, due largely to overspending or over commitments in personnel emoluments.

Commissioner Manning said for 2022 and 2023, personnel emoluments (PE) for the RPNGC constitute a significant portion of its budget, which includes salaries, allowances, and other benefits for police officers and staff.

He said the total expenditure for personnel emoluments in 2022 was estimated at K288,662,000 (K288.6 million), and 2023 at K269,161,200 (K269.1 million). The fortnightly focused payroll expenditure in 2022 was K10.5 million, and 2023 at K10.3 million.

“With the experiences learned from the previous years we introduced a number of measures to control the costs of personnel emoluments, and these have proven successful. Over the last three years we have operated within our means. We have not blown our budget, not gone into red, or not gone to the extent of operating on life support.

“The RPNGC is committed to ensuring that personnel emoluments are managed in a fiscally responsible and sustainable manner. These cost control measures are essential to ensure that the Constabulary remains within budget while providing the highest level of service to the community.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank Deputy Commissioner Administration Joanne Clarkson and her team for their commitment and efforts to date, and further challenge them to maintain this good performance going forward,” Mr Manning said.