Saturday 18th March 18 2023
The Government, for the first time in more than a decade, has increased funding for the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) in this year’s (2023) budget.
This year’s national budget has prioritized police and law-and-order sector, with an increase of K401 million, to support the police recruitment and improved goods and services.
Minister for Internal Security, Peter Tsiamalili jr. when expressing his gratitude to the Marape-Rosso government, said the police force would raise its force from 5,000 in 2022 to over 7,000 by 2026.
The police recruitment drive commenced early this year.
Minister Tsiamalili jr. also noted how successive governments have given ‘lip service’ to the RPNGC in terms of increasing its police uniform numbers.
“Official documents (Medium Term Development Plans I, II, III) indicated increased police numbers in the last decade, and this commitment was not matched by political will,” he adds.
In the meantime, the recruitment of regular police officers is almost complete, and the training of the first 320 recruits will begin in April 2023.
Whilst the Bomana Centre of Excellence, formerly Bomana Police College can train 640 officers annually, there have been an increased number of trainees above this threshold, which is limited by the training facilities and instructors.
Minister Tsiamalili jr. further announced a second police training center at Gusap, Morobe Province, which he said will be commissioned as a Regional Training Centre, to increase the number of trainees in a year.
“Police numbers and, consequently, the police-to-citizens ratio will improve should the current support and funding be maintained over the next decade in building a Safer PNG,” Mr Tsiamalili added.