Give LLGs enough funding, govt told

The National Government has a responsibility to provide adequate funding to  lower level  governments to fund basic services to the rural people, National Economic and Fiscal Commission (NEFC) chairman and chief executive Hohora Suve says.
Suve said there were challenges to service delivery in PNG and the understanding could only be sustained by communicating with the provinces, districts and engaging with the wider community in government and civil society.
He said NEFC prided itself as an independent constitutional office contributing to advice on public policy reforms, including the implementation of  reforms of inter-governmental financing arrangements (Rigfa).
As a lead agency in the implementation of Rigfa reforms, NEFC has been primarily responsible for improving funding allocations to provinces and LLGs, Suve said.
“Our role and mandate are established under the country’s constitution and further specified under Section 117 of the Organic Law on Provincial and Local level Government,” he said.
“Some of these critical services include provision of schooling materials to the rural schools, maintenance of rural airstrips, rural roads, bridges and jetties, extension training to rural farmers and operations of rural health facilities.
“These are examples of basic services critical to the livelihood of Papua New Guineans.”
NEFC’s functions involve assessing the funding envelop and revenue to determine the level of operational goods and services grants in the re-current budget to the provinces and local level governments.