Balance resources with strategies to achieve goals: Matava

DESPITE being faced with economic challenges, East New Britain must balance allocated resources with strategies to achieve goals, says an official.
Acting provincial administrator Wilson Matava told public servants last week during the second quarter budget review in Kokopo that the province had entered 2016 with a level of optimism, given the challenges faced last year.
“We are faced with economic challenges but we can balance that with strategies in place,” he said.
“We need to raise our performance so we can balance the level of resources coming in to achieve our plans.” The provincial budget approved early this year was K221 million inclusive of personal emoluments, service improvement programmes both at districts and provincial level.
A review during the first quarter saw the inclusion of K10.8 million being the balance of provincial services improvement programme (PSIP) funds from last year.
It increased the budget to K239 million.
In the second quarter, the province re-ceived another K5 million for function grants, taking the total to K244 million.
“The funding is all for projects. The performance of the province, while it is based on a budget performance, should continue to have mechanisms such as a budget review to measure performance of team leaders, engagement with district administrations and support and coordination at provincial level,” Matava said.