Councillors raise concern over unpaid allowances

OUTSTANDING allowances for ward members in East New Britain (ENB) have been one of the major issue raised since the 2017 national elections including the recent national local level government (LLG) elections last year.
ENB Welfare Leaders Association and ward member for Mope in the Bitapaka LLG Augustine Alois told The National that the ENB government had been inconsistent in its payment of the ward members allowances.
Alois called on the provincial government through a submission that was given to Governor Nakikus Konga in 2018 to fast track the pay out of ward member allowances.
He said since the national LLG elections last year a lot of the ward members who lost their seats had yet to be remunerated.
He said the ENB government had assured its ward members they would receive their share of outstanding allowances after the national LLG election last year but nothing had eventuated.
He said the government needed to appreciate the work ward members did and respect their contributions to the administration of the province.
Alois called on the Department of Inter-Government Relations and Local Level Government Affairs look into their plight as well.