Dion: BDA not answer

 By SHIRLYN BELDEN

BORDER Development Authority only ensures goods and services are provided to the areas along the border and not directly facilitating them, Deputy Prime Minister Leo Dion told parliament recently.   

He said provincial governments were tasked to facilitate services to these areas with support assistance from the BDA and other relevant bodies or donors. 

He said it was imperative that there was good communication between these agencies to ensure that services were provided to the people living along the border. 

Parliament also heard from Telefomin MP Solan Mirisim that much of these were not delivered to the people living along the border from Western to Wutung in West Sepik. 

Mirisim also said there were other pressing concerns of unmonitored exchanges of PNG kina and Indonesian rupiah through selling of goods, trafficking of drugs, arms and other illegal matters. 

Mirisim asked Dion whether there were any plans by BDA for goods and services to be provided there and if it could establish BDA work stations to coodinate activities there. 

Dion confirmed that there was lack of services to these areas as funds were limited. 

“BDA is not the answer to these problems. It only ensures that services and infrastructure development take place there,” he said.