Delay in fund allocation a concern

THE Morobe government is uncertain about the Government’s ability to honour the National Budget Appropriation Act to delay the allocation of development and service delivery grants in the past six months.
The K35 million provincial services improvement programme for 2015 is yet to be received, forcing provincial governments to use internal revenue to sustain basic services and administration costs.
Governor Kelly Naru said the total revenue comprised the national grant of K298.4m, internal revenue of K111.9m and former year’s grants (yet to receive) of K51.1m.
He told the Tutumang that the national grants had not been forthcoming because of the cash flow problem facing the country.
The figure comprised personnel emoluments (K179.8m), service delivery (K7.7m), LLG (K6.9m) and development (K103.8m).
Of the 2015 national grant of K51.1m, only K15.3m had been released.
Naru said the actual collection of internal revenue was K58.5m with shortfall of K53.4m.
Bulolo MP Sam Basil said it had affected various impact development aspirations in the province.
“Why cannot the Tutumang rise up and say no to the Government for forcing things down our throat?” he said.