Fed up of same empty promises

FINANCE Minister Patrick Pruaitch has handed down the biggest budget ever in the country’s history. But for what purpose?
I still eat kaukau cooked from firewood and drink water from the bamboo. I still have to walk for miles to the nearest clinic.
Before election, I see people campaigning in my electorate promising this and that but delivered nothing.
Now my Government has handed down the biggest budget with K10 million for each district.
To me, this money is open to abuse by Members of Parliament and their associates.
I have had enough of empty promises from candidates during elections.
I suggest the following:
1. Five-year development plan for every intending candidates
Intending candidates must submit a five-year development plan for their open electorate and provinces.
The plan must include the major impact projects and other key projects in their electorate and provinces. Accompanying the development plan must be the budget. The budget will include Government grants and other sources of funding such as donor funding. A declaration of oath to fulfil their development plan must also be included for legal and community representatives to sign and witness. The intending candidates will only be allowed to contest the elections if the Electoral Commissioner approves their development plans. This is necessary because from experiences, people whom we have never heard of or seen in our villages come and promise us with bridges, clinics, classrooms, etc, when campaigning but nothing is delivered. After they win the election, they disappeared and we never hear from them until the next election.
2. Open members to have their offices in their own electorate
Enact a law where members have to stay in their electorate to implement the five-year development plan which they have submitted. Since independence, we have never seen our members at our electorate implementing projects. They just come and give handouts during the launch of a classroom or a road. This is a waste of public funds.
3. Creation of an anti-corruption body to monitor performance of MPs
Pass a law that will allow for the creation of a body to make sure that every individual member must implement the five-year development plan. The watchdog will make sure that every members account for the money allocated by the Government and other donor organisations. The representatives of this watchdog will travel to every electorate in the country and travel to the sites where the members have implemented their development plans. If the member has submitted a development plan to build an aid post the representatives will make sure that that aid post has been built.

Lucas Kiap
Lae