Mayors need common voice, says Naru

National

Urban and local level governments (ULLGs) should get the biggest slice of government funding because it is the closest body to the people, Morobe Governor Kelly Naru says.
Instead urban LLGs were left to fend for themselves through internal revenues and funding allocations from either the provincial government purse or district services improvement programme funds,” he said.
Speaking at the third Mamose mayors’ conference in Lae this week, Naru said it was up to mayors to know and understand political institutions and government structures, roles and functions.
“We must have a stand to legislate urban LLGs to ensure they receive direct funding from the national purse instead of depending on provincial governments and DSIP funds because developing urban LLGs like Madang, Wewak, Maprik, Vanimo, Bulolo and Gagidu are incapable of generating funds internally” Naru said.
The conference theme is “understanding roles of the national and provincial governments and district development authorities in instilling and enhancing good governance in service delivery to urban LLG’s”.
Naru said the mayors needed a common voice in order to be able to raise common issues. “It is timely for the mayors to share ideas and experiences by identifying struggles endured in terms of adequate capacity and raise a collective voice to tell the national government how urban LLGs should be funded.”