Churches to receive equal funds

 WATUT local level council president Waka Daiman has called on authorities co-ordinating the Morobe Provincial Government-Christian Church Partnership (MPG-CCPP) to distribute funds equally.

He said not all rural church denominations in Morobe benefitted from the initiative. 

Waka said that during the launch and presentation of the Watut LLG’s one-tenth tithes of K60,000 to the Body of Christ (BoC).

BoC was established in 2011, comprising certain denominations that coordinate church fundings in Watut LLG. 

“MPG-CCPP Minister Charlie Foike needs to realise LLG’s that have established structures aligned with government policies and are prepared to utilised such funding instead of allocating to paper submissions, proposals and applications,” Waka said. 

Bulolo MP Sam Basil supported Waka’s concern, saying CCPP funds needed to be fairly distributed.

“Churches and their executives must never argue among themselves over assistance from government because when they dispute it reflects their weaknesses, sending wrong signals to the public,” Basil said.

Local leader Ken Simon from Kapao LLG, in Menyamya, raised similar sentiments after six denominations have struggled to improve church facilities. 

Simon said churches in rural areas should be educated on how to access MPG-CCPP funding assistance.

The MPG-CCPP was the brainchild of Governor Kelly Naru to offer one-tenth of government internal revenue to churches as tithes.

MPG then allocated K5 million from its 2013 budget for churches.