Public Service Minister inspects new payroll office

The new payroll office, located on the ground floor of the Central Government Building, is rapidly progressing towards becoming fully functional. This crucial development was recently inspected by the Minister for Public Service, Hon. Joe Sungi, accompanied by Vice-Minister for Public Service Hon. Francis Siune and Department of Personnel Management (DPM) Secretary Ms. Taies Sansan.

This significant new division will be led by Ms. Ila Kapueina, who was recently appointed as the Acting Director for the Payroll Division. Ms. Kapueina will oversee the merger of the HRMIS and Training branch of the MIS Division with the payroll processing and IT positions from the Department of Finance. This strategic consolidation directly follows a National Executive Council (NEC) decision to return the HR Payroll function to DPM.

During the inspection, Minister Sungi expressed his satisfaction with the pace of work. “It’s good to see that work is progressing according to timelines,” he remarked. He emphasized the urgency, stating, “The faster we set up this office and get the equipment in, the quicker our officers can start work on ensuring that our payroll systems are competent and efficient and that service delivery is achieved.”

DPM Secretary Ms. Taies Sansan underscored the benefits of this consolidation, highlighting that bringing payroll officers together under one roof will foster a stronger sense of teamwork among them.

The transition of personnel is being meticulously managed by a dedicated HR Technical Working Group, comprised of HR teams from both DPM and the Department of Finance, ensuring a smooth change management process. Efforts are also well underway to procure essential furnishings for the office, including furniture and computers.

Every effort is being made to have the office fully operational before its anticipated launch, which is scheduled to take place on August 31st.