The Acting Secretary

GABRIEL L. YER, age 42, joined the Department of Finance as an accountant in the Public Accounts Section in early 1990. Since then, he has risen throuh the ranks to reach his substantive position as Deputy Secretary (Operations), and is currently Acting Secretary for the Department of Finance.

Mr. Yer holds a Diploma in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Commerce in accountancy, both from the PNG University of Technology (Unitech) in Lae, Morobe Province.

He holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA), is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), and member of ICMA (PNG).

Mr. Yer began his High School education at the Holy Rosary High at Kondiu in his home province of Chimbu in 1976, achieving a Grade 10 certificate in 1970, followed by two years at Aiyura National High School in Eastern Highlands, where he attained Grade 12 Certificate.

He also received the Wales Award - Advanced Education, Australia, in the Senior Maths Competion.

Between 1982 and 1987, Mr. Yer's carreer alternated between attending Unitech Lae, and work experience in the accountaing field on short stints, both in PNG and Australia.

He first entered the full-time employment market for 12 months in 1984 with Wormald International (PNG) as an Expenditure Supervisor before returning to his studies.

Graduating at the end of 1987, Mr. Yer joined Paga Taxi Pty Ltd as an assistant accountant in 1988 and remaind there for a year and a half.

Then he made his move towards the Public Service, joining the Ministry of the then Department of Primary Industry (now Agriculture and Livestock) as a reasearch officer on financial matters, project appraisals and data collecting on agriculture related subjects.

It was from there that he made his buggest career move of his life, successfully applying to join the Department of Finance, for which he is now the Acting Secretary.