BY SAMIE WAIKORI

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Solomon Post, Caroline Kanoko says Clause 13 of Public Service Bill 2025 doesn’t provide clear understanding on the operation of the bill with regard to State Own Enterprise (SOE).

Speaking before the Bills and Legislative Committee (BLC) yesterday, she said the clause states the bill doesn’t cover SOEs, but in 13.4. a.b.c of the bill, there is a provision that the minister is allow to come to the operation of SOEs.

Ms Kanoko said upon looking through the bill, she concluded in the perspective of SOEs that the bill is a staff manual, and a more kind of operational policy to them.

“I’m trying to see that staff manual or internal policies are operational policies and they come under hierarchy that from the board we develop staff manual.

“Now, I see this clause a little vague – vague in a sense that it can be silent and it can be active.

“The silent of it is, it gives the owner of SOEs the right to just watch and they can come in under (4. a.b.c) of clause 13.4 when its necessary.

“I’m also trying to apply the condition of employment or the environment in which employment is conducted under SOEs

“So, if I’m seeing it in that lens, then it will only touch the CEOs and the general working office,” she said.

The CEO said on that perspective, the bill is purely operation and it doesn’t touch the board. Maybe in the worse situation of SOEs or situations they couldn’t help themselves, government through the bill can salvage SOEs

In the meantime, she added that if the bill is active, there is more power to the minister to come into the operation of a commercial entity.

Kanoko recalled that Solomon Post hasn’t had any experience in the situation, so they will see if it touches employment.

She also said if the bill is active for SOEs, would it mean only the condition of employment the Minister come into?

Kanako reiterated that clause 13 of the bill is vague as she is trying to understand how can it be operationalized in commercial setting, where it touches employment.

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