Basil: Procedures are discriminatory

 THE administrative procedures and guidelines imposed by Finance Minister James Marape and Finance Secretary Ken Nangan last week on Opposition MPs have not been applied to government MPs and are discriminatory, an MP says.

Bulolo MP and deputy Opposition leader Sam Basil, pictured, said that on Friday in Lae when calling on the other eight Morobe MPs in government to help them access their District Services Improvement Programme (DSIP) funds of K10 million each.

He said so far Opposition MPs had only got and used K1m, with K2m pending clearance and the balance of K7m stopped on Marape’s advice.

“No government MPs were asked to bring along their five-year development plans nor the Joint District Planning and Budget Priorities Committee resolutions in exchange for their DSIP cheques,” Basil said.

“Their last payment was conducted in the state function room in parliament after an announcement  through the public address system for MPs to go and collect their remaining K3m DSIP funds for the year.” 

“On their appointment, finance ministers are constitutionally directed by directive principles 3 and 4 of the national goal number two of the Constitution to equally and fairly distribute the nation’s wealth and resources regardless of whether DSIP is a constitutional grant and an MP is in Opposition.

“Elected MPs must execute their constitutional duties without fear or favour and must not be held ransom by their own district funds.

“All  MPs must be of a clear conscience at all times to truly represent the electors who voted them into parliament,” he said.