The Papua New Guinea government is persevering with plans to remove foreign advisers in government departments.
Peter O'Neill Photo: Wikimedia
The newspaper The National reports that heads of departments and provincial administrators have been told to remove employees of foreign governments occupying technical advisory roles in government.
The secretary of the Department of Personnel Management, John Kali, says the removals should come into effect from January 1, in line with the government's decision to change the way aid-funded technical advisers are engaged and contracted.
PNG's prime minister Peter O'Neill flagged plans to remove foreign advisers in July, saying their presence was making locals lazy.
Departments issued with the directive include Health, Education, Justice, Finance, Provincial and Local Government Affairs, Foreign Affairs and National Planning.
Foreigners who remain as technical advisers are likely to have to report only to department heads and the PNG government.
A spokesperson for the Australian High Commission said Canberra was aware of the new regulations and looked forward to discussions with the Government of PNG on this matter.
It's understood that Australia has 34 public servants on seconement to PNG's government agencies and over 100 technical advisers in the country.
