Donor funds for youths go amiss
By YEHIURA HRIEHWAZI
THE National Youth Policy is expected to be launched in Port Moresby next month, but the funds allocated for that purpose by a donor agency appears to have been misappropriated.
The United Nations International Children’s Fund (Unicef) allocated K18,000 to the National Youth Commission for the printing of the youth policy at the Government Printing Office (GPO) and as of last week, there has been no acquittal of how the money had been spent and only 25 copies printed.
Unicef confirmed that K18,000 was given to the National Youth Commission (NYC) “for the launching of the National Youth Policy”, scheduled to take place next month.
Plans were made for the Prime Minister to launch the policy on or about April 10, however, there is doubts whether this would take place as planned.
It is understood that bulk of that money was spent at a motel outside Port Moresby by staff of the NYC and National Planning Department to draft the policy.
Sources said that donor funds were not supposed to be used for hotel bills.
“Now Unicef is demanding for acquittals, and the NYC is unable to produce the receipts to show for printing of the youth policy,” a senior officer told The National.
Unicef told The National they were not happy at the poor response from NYC on its requests for acquittals.
The problem is further compounded by alleged misapplication of another K40,000 – again from Unicef – for another youth project to cover for the printing of the youth policy.
Unicef allocated K108,000 to NYC towards the end of last year to carry out a study on disadvantaged youths in six provinces.
However. in what has been described as a dubious arrangement, a senior officer at the GPO collaborated with a certain senior officer of the NYC for K40,000 to be paid to a bogus printing company (named) supposedly owned by the senior GPO staff.
The GPO had originally quoted the printing job at K21,227 for 2,000 copies of the NYC youth policy, according to reliable sources at GPO.
The bogus printing company quoted “K65,000 to K80,000” for 1,000 copies and invoiced NYC. It was paid K40,000 promptly.
However, GPO sources said the actual printing is now being done by GPO and only 25 copies were printed and delivered last week.
The senior GPO staff who is handling the printing job is believed to be the principal of the bogus printing company.
This person is understood to have purchased a vehicle two weeks ago soon after the K40,000 was paid by NYC.
The office of the National Youth Commission could not be reached last Thursday and over the long weekend for comments.
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