Abel: Review to set government’s focus

 THE Government’s review of the development strategic plan and the medium term development plan will set the focus for its 2014 development budget framework, Planning Minister Charles Abel said.

He told Parliament last week that the review was to meet the Government’s Vision 2050 guidelines and set a development framework for the country’s multi-year budgeting.

He said a review secretariat had been established, a scope of works compiled, terms of reference, work schedule and costing devised.

But Abel said the work already underway was to be reviewed again to capture broader themes of sustainable development and effective population management in line with the 78 priorities identified in the Alotau Accord and the post 2015 Government priorities.

Deputy secretary for Planning and chairman of the review task force Joseph Kapa said they would take on board whatever was needed to be captured in the review and arrive at a favourable outcome.

Abel said the framework for the review was finalised last month, technical advisers were engaged to work as specialists in the various sectors identified and university graduates engaged as research assistants to collect, sample and analyse data for the review.