K52million for MPs’ poll funds: Bart

THE Government has diverted K52 million earmarked for district treasury roll-out programme last year to MPs’ election funds, Bart Philemon, leader of the New Generation Party and Member for Lae, has claimed.
Mr Philemon said an additional K22 million was provided in the 2006 supplementary budget for the continuation of the district roll-out programme and a further K30 million in this year’s budget.
“This is for bilas – no work has been done,” Mr Philemon said.
He said expenditure reports from the Department of Finance and Treasury indicated that a lot of these funds had been diverted to cover the costs of acquiring vehicles, outboard motors, dinghies and other project handouts by Members of Parliament in the hope of winning the elections.
“This is a sign of a desperate Government wanting to cling onto power by hook or crook.
“To call this development, no elected leader in their right frame of mind would divert funds earmarked for development purposes for their personal gains to win the general election.
“Free handout to politicians and money misused for political expediency must stop, and we, at the New Generation Party, will end all direct payments to politicians when we are in Government,” Mr Philemon said at the NGP convention last Saturday.
Mr Philemon said since the district treasury programme stopped, delivery of public service into rural areas had also stopped.
He said NGP’s philosophy was about ensuring the country’s children are properly fed, clothed and educated so that they can grow up to become nation-builders.


 

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