EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
1986 No. 316
Minute No. 18 of 1986 - Minister for Veterans’ Affairs
Subject - Papua New Guinea (Members of the Forces Benefits) Act 1957
Papua New Guinea (Members of the Forces Benefits) Regulations (Amendment)
Under section 9 of the Papua New Guinea (Members of the Forces Benefits) Act 1957 (the Act), the Governor-General may make regulations, not inconsistent with the Act, prescribing all matters which by the Act are required or permitted to be prescribed, or which are necessary or convenient to be prescribed for giving effect to the Act.
The amendments to the Papua New Guinea (Members of the Forces Benefits) Regulations give effect to the Government’s 1986/87 Budget decision to defer by three paydays indexation of certain pensions and other benefits payable under the Act and also repeal an outmoded inoperative provision.
Details of the regulations are as follows.
Regulation 1 - Commencement
Regulation 1 provides that the amendments to the Papua New Guinea (Members of the Forces Benefits) Regulations commence operation on 31 October 1986.
Regulation 2 - Parts
Regulation 2 provides for the repeal of regulation 2 of the Papua New Guinea (Members of the Forces Benefits) Regulations.
Regulation 3 Variation of rates of pension
Regulation 9A of the Papua New Guinea (Members of the Forces Benefits) Regulations provides for the indexation of pensions in accordance with variations in the All Groups Consumer Price Index. The dates of indexation prior to amendment were the first pension paydays after 1 May and 1 November each year.
Regulation 3 amends the definition of “relevant period” in sub - regulation 9A(1) and amends paragraph 5 (a) to provide that increased payments of indexed pensions will be paid in respect of instalments that become due on or after 13 December and 13 June each year, a delay of three pension paydays.
Regulation 4
Schedule 1 to the Papua New Guinea (Members of the Forces Benefits) Regulations provides for the rates of pension payable to dependants of a deceased member of the Forces in respect of the death of that member or to a member who is totally incapacitated.
Regulation 4 increases the rate of pension payable to these classes of persons. The rate of pension payable to a widow of a deceased member is increased from $56.30 to $65.30 per fortnight, the rate payable to a dependant of the deceased member who is under 16 years of age is increased from $10.60 to $12.40 per fortnight and the rate payable to a member of the Forces who is totally incapacitated is increased from $94.60 to $109.80 per fortnight.
This amendment is consequential upon the amendment to regulation 9A of the Papua New Guinea (Members of the Forces Benefits) Regulations, made by regulation 3 of these regulations, to change the base period for the indexation of certain pensions.
AUTHORITY: | Section 9 of the Papua New Guinea (Members of the Forces Benefits) Act 1957 |