K64.4mil for wards to be paid next year

National

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill says the K64.4 million allocated for the wards will be paid after the 2018 local level government elections.
O’Neill said the local level government elections, which was to have been held with the general election this year, was deferred to next year. Resources are being made available for the elections next year.
“We are now preparing to make resources available for the local level government elections to be conducted,” O’Neill said.
“In respect to the wards services improvement programme, I intend to reinstate the funding for that in 2018. But it will be disbursed after the elections.
“We want to have the elections in 2018 so that we can have the councils and wards operating effectively.”
O’Neill was replying in Parliament to Nuku MP Joe Sungi regarding the funding for the rural wards. Sungi said in the 2017 budget, K64.4 million had been allocated to more than 6000 wards
O’Neill thanked MPs for continuing to fund the wards using their district support improvement  programme funds.
“Let me thank most of the MPs through their district support improvement programme who are continually funding their wards,” he said.
“It is an indication of how different levels of government can work together to deliver the services to our people. We will reinstate that in 2018.”