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By ELIZABETH VUVU
NATIONAL Planning and District Development Minister Paul Tiensten is on
a fact-finding mission to Manus.
Manus, according to the United Nations development indicators, was one
of the country’s underdeveloped provinces.
Provincial administrator Wep Kanawi said Manus was identified as the
first province to be visited prior to the framing of the 2008 national
budget due to its underdeveloped status according to UNDP.
Mr Tiensten was accompanied by Manus Governor Michael Sapau and Open
Member and Inter Government Relations Minister Job Pomat for a four-day
visit.
His visit was in line with his recent announcement in Parliament to
undertake fact-finding visits to some of Papua New Guinea’s
underdeveloped provinces and districts.
The National Government priority now will be to focus on redirecting
development priorities to underdeveloped districts.
Mr Kanawi said Manus was definitely underdeveloped and some main reasons
included:
*Performance index as compiled by UNDP (20
years) indicated Manus was above the national average. This means that
in 20 years, performance index dropped way below national average to
third last – Manus stood still while other provinces moved on;
*Cost of fuel was three to four times higher
than prices in Port Moresby;
*40% of the population lives on outer islands
making service delivery expensive and infrequent;
*Small internal revenue base but high rate of
unemployment;
*Provincial and LLG budgets were smallest
while problems were largest in PNG; and
*LLG headquarters built over 20 years ago and
now falling apart.
 
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