Concept for power

THE District Development Authority concept was initiated by former prime minister Peter O’Neill and the PNC-led government.
The idea was to give sitting MPs political power and control over millions of provincial and districts support improvement programme Funds (PSIP&DSIP) funds to spend at will as chairman of authority.
It’s done to aid MPs winning their seats back and strengthen political party.
Members of parliament are elected to be legislatures and should not be allowed by any laws to carry cheque books around with millions of public funds with provincial and district administrators as their briefcase carriers.
I call on Prime Minister James Marape and his government to repeal the District Development Authority (DDA) Act before the 2022 national elections.
Give powers of allocation of funding and guidelines to the local level government system.
Both the provincial and districts support improvement programme Funds (PSIP&DSIP) funds over the last 15 years have not produced any tangible developments in some province and districts.
Public funds are being misused annually through corrupt practices nationwide.
Allocation of the PSIP and DSIP funds, under the national government budgets, were meant to support provincial and districts improve.
The funds should be fairly distributed, shared and managed in order to bring changes in provinces and districts.
It should be a requirement that provincial and district administrators are properly trained in public administration and should have knowledge in financial management to control public funds for trasnparency.

Samson C Napo,
Former Bulolo MP