Autonomy seen as answer to urban drift

Inter-government Relations Minister Kevin Isifu says that granting greater autonomy to provinces will help prevent the urban drift and high crime rates in the major cities like Port Moresby and Lae.
“Unless we develop districts as service and growth centres with enabling environments to attract the private sector to invest in rural areas, young people will migrate to urban areas seeking better lives,” he said.
Isifu said the Department of Justice and Attorney-General had made a submission on the proposed Organic Law on Decentralisation to the National Executive Council for approval.
“This Government is addressing these challenges of urban migration by making appropriate policies in establishing district headquarters as service and growth centres both for public service and business growth and also the concept of regional cities in Lae (Mamose), Mt Hagen (Highlands) and Kokopo (New Guinea Islands). These cities will provide supply centres for emerging populations and encourage improved service delivery and growth of business.”
Isifu, when presenting his ministerial statement on the strategy for smart and balanced decentralisation 2018-2022, said that most of PNG’s resources were located in the provinces.
“Therefore it is now time to support provinces to develop these resources to produce additional resources to support the delivery of services as well as further investments and growth.
“Provinces will complement and support districts and local council roles as frontline service providers by adding value and focus on quality through partnerships with districts, private sectors and churches.”
Meanwhile, Higher Education Research Science and Technology Minister Pila Niningi said that giving greater autonomy to the provinces was risky.
“Jobs given in the administration of those autonomy provinces will be given to political cronies,” he said.