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By PETER KORUGL
LAE and Mt Hagen cities are
demanding a new government system to replace the current setup under
which they are being run.
Leaders in the two cities claimed the current system had not function
well and as a result, they were unable to build or maintain existing
infrastructure and facilities in the cities.
“The Government must enact legislations to a new governance system is
set up in Mount Hagen and Lae.
“This body must have powers to rule and regulate, to collect revenue and
receive funding under a formula and arrangement different from the
current system, Mt Hagen leader Michael Pundia told The National from
his Kiminiga village outside the city.
The Morobe planning and budget priority committee, headed by Governor
Luther Wenge, was this week briefed of a proposal to give more power and
responsibilities to the Lae urban local level government to allow it to
serve its residents better.
“It is evident that since the inception of the reform to the Provincial
and Local Level Governments in 1997, provision of services to the lae
residents has declined.
“This is because under the current system, the Lae Urban Council has the
same status as other rural councils.
“The funding to Lae for provision of basic services is therefore
insufficient,” Governor Wenge said.
In a statement released after the conference, attended by all the
national MPs including deputy opposition leader and Lae MP Bart
Philemon, Mr Wenge said the committee agreed that it was “absolutely
necessary” to change the system of governance in Lae city.
Governor Wenge said the committee believed that this would ensure that
Lae gets more money to spend on the city.
 
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