Bogia leader claims abuse of DSIP funds

A COMMUNITY leader in Bogia has claimed widespread abuse of district services improvement programme (DSIP) funds in the district.
Joe Viaken said that while some districts were enjoying and experiencing tangible development benefits, Bogia was rated amongst the lowest with nil development in all facets of change.
Viaken said that the people of Bogia had seen their three local level government (LLG) presidents powerless in bringing effective changes to previous decisions as numerous self-appointed committees formed by MP John Hickey were hindrances.
“The MP and his cohorts are dictating the process of passing resolutions to distribute the DSIP funds. The democratic process has been hijacked by the MP. If any resolutions were passed, they were either one- sided, altered without consulting the district sectors and presidents which do not tie up to any development plans,” he said.
An angry Viaken said that Bogia was one of the major districts with schools, police station, hospital, post office, bank and big housing infrastructure for its public servants better than other stations elsewhere in Madang but was the laughing stock at the moment.
He alleged that the district administrator and the provincial treasurer were also mismanaging public funds; not adhering to the bottom-up district development plan which incorporate the DSIP release; no control and accountability for the DSIP spending.