Abuse of funds needs to stop

MILLIONS of kina in DSIP funds (K10 million each) are being disbursed annually to the districts by the national Government as development grants towards transportation and community infrastructure, health and education, law and justice, water supply and sanitation, rural communications and electrification, agriculture and community-based projects and general administration.
DSIP funds are meant to involve all stakeholders, including MPs, national departments and agencies, provincial administrations, district administration (DDAs) and the communities, who should all be accountable for the sound management of the funds.
Each district development authority is required to have a five-year development plan setting out the overall framework of initiatives and projects.
The DDA chairmen and CEOs should ensure that meetings are conducted transparently with the resolutions to be in line with their district’s five-year development plans, including the list of projects benefitting the electorate as a whole and not just certain pocket areas to satisfy a few politicians’ wishes.
Without this important core component of the DSIP governance framework, we leave doors open for white collar crime criminals to take advantage of the situation.
The management of the DSIP funds continue to be abused and we continue to read reports of misappropriation and corruption by officials at local government, district, provincial and national level.
It is not uncommon for politicians to insist that rules are ignored to allow the DSIP funds to be distributed according to their wishes, and this is why we see crumbling infrastructures like roads, classrooms, health centres, water supplies and sanitation systems.
Where have their allocations gone?
Attempts to boost rural physical and material socio-economic development continues to be thwarted by corrupt government and political officials. The general population suffers as a result.
It is noted that officials of the Department of Implementation and Rural Development are in theprovinces to conduct, monitor and inspect all the projects and ensure that annual DSIP funds are being used for their intended purposes. Let’s hope they catch some large fish for dinner tonight.

Lawrence Billy, Lae