In a historic move, a total of 7, 277 local-level government ward members (councilors) are set to join the government's Ascenda payroll platform for the first time since Independence. This includes 6, 375 ward councilors and 902 community government members from the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB). This move, directed by Prime Minister (PM) James Marape through Cabinet Decision 322/2021, aims to ensure proper remuneration for elected leaders, transitioning them from the previous Alesco payroll system to Ascenda. Implementing this decision will inject K2, 546, 950.00 into the sub-national economy and create over 7, 000 fully paid jobs. Starting today, Wednesday March 6th 2024, Deputy Presidents, Deputy Mayors, and Ward Councilors will receive K350 and K300 respectively. Provincial and Local Level Government (LLG) Affairs Minister, Soroi Eoe explained that these LLG leaders' salaries will be paid in batches, with all payments backdated to January 2024. Minister Eoe said this yesterday when officially launching the LLG Leaders transition onto the Government Ascenda payroll, with the first batch of ward members from 7 pilot sites: Hela, Enga, Gulf, West Sepik, Manus, East New Britain, and West New Britain provinces set to get paid today. By or before Pay 8, all ward members in the country and those in AROB will be fully paid, with their backdated salaries. The event was attended also by Secretaries for the Department of Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs (DPLGA) and Personnel Management, including Public Service Minister, Joseph Sungi who praised the initiative but strongly urged everyone at the community level to elect reliable ward members. He also urged district and LLG administrators and managers to perform well. He said the capacity and quality of these leaders at the helm of the community decision-making level must be on par with any other elected official in office. Minister Sungi further said that this has been a long-anticipated wait to be remunerated, and he was pleased to see it happen now, acknowledging himself and other leaders for ensuring allowances for their ward members over the years through whatever discretionary funds they could access to help LLG leaders. He noted that the next lot of hard-working community officials to follow suit are ward recorders, who play a very important role in collecting and compiling vital populace data statistics at the village and ward level. Minister Eoe shared the same sentiments in his keynote address. “LLG Councilors going on the payroll now connect a missing link between the third tier government and the Department of Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs.” “That relationship over the years has been one of unstained and superficial with no commitments.” Minister Eoe emphasized that this transition strengthens accountability mechanisms and increases the roles and responsibilities of LLG Councilors in overseeing community development. “In 2021 the Marape-Rosso Government recognized the important role LLG plays, and their leadership is often under difficult conditions, and therefore it is only proper and fair that they be given due recognition and be rewarded.” “The Marape-Rosso Government understands that LLG leaders have an important role to play in taking ownership and addressing social issues affecting the country, hence when there is strong and effective leadership at the community level, there will be peace and order.” He said this will be strengthened by DPLGA who “will keep an eye on just about everything that goes at the Ward, LLG and District Level”, adding that DPLGA will work with the LLG leadership to mobilize youth to be skilled and deployed. “Having this group of leaders on the payroll will improve service delivery across all sectors in the community,” Minister Eoe reiterated.