MP: Have faith in districts

 A MEMBER of Parliament has appealed to the Government to have confidence in district administrations to implement projects using government funding.

Rai Coast MP James Gau told a media conference in Port Moresby last Friday that authorities at the national level had the mentality that districts did not have the capacity to implement projects. 

“But in Rai Coast, we try to do work under the Capital Works Programme (CWP) to prove that some districts do have capacity,” Gau said. 

“Rai Coast is the first district where we have managed to implement the CWP. It depends on how well we in the districts can manage and implement the programmes.”

Gau called on the government to continue supporting the districts through the District Services Improvement Programme funds and the Public Investment Programme funds. 

“We have to have proper and qualified technical personnel on the ground that can implement the programmes. I’ve done it in my electorate and I believe this is the way forward for all electorates in PNG.”

Gau presented his district’s 2013 DSIP and District Support Grants acquittals to the Department of Implementation and Rural Development’s secretary Paul Sai’i.