13 provinces meet fiscal needs in 2015

THE National Economic and Fiscal Commission says that 13 provinces were able to meet their fiscal needs in 2014.
The commission held a two-day workshop in Madang and highlighted the 2014 expenditure review.
The expenditure report revealed that those provinces could operate from their internal revenues beyond the cut-off 100 per cent mark which indicated the end of their estimated government support grants.
The 13 provinces were Southern Highlands, Morobe, Western Highlands, New Ireland, Enga, East New Britain, West Sepik, Chimbu, East Sepik, Central, Madang, Manus and Milne Bay.
According to the expenditure report, Southern Highlands used its government grants on other activities than the government’s priorities and used its internal revenue to fund the government’s priorities.
It also showed that Morobe collected the highest revenue from taxes it collected, mainly because half of the country’s biggest industries were based there.
The report said the highest spenders on education’s minimum priority areas were Central, East New Britain and Hela and the province not performing well in that area was Western.
The overall service delivery outcome ranking for 2014 on top five  adjusted for three years’ average showed that Chimbu led followed by East New Britain, Milne Bay, Manus and Central.
Madang was sitting in sixth spot.
One of the challenges pointed out in the review was that according to the provincial government accounting system, most government funds were heavily and quickly used up in the last quarter of the year before the close of accounts.
NEFC executive officer Hohora Suve said that was because most government funds arrived late in province.