Dion: Use of border authority funds to be audited

 THE use and application of funds allocated to the Border Development Authority for development in the six border provinces will be audited, verified and accounted for, deputy Prime Minister Leo Dion says.

Dion, who is the minister responsible for the authority, said this in response to concerns raised by the Opposition leader Belden Namah and his deputy Sam Basil on the lack of government services in  his border electorate of Vanimo-Green, in West Sepik.

Namah visited the electorate last week and said health, education services and roads were non-existent and there was nothing to show for the allocation of funding to the authority. 

Dion said the authority’s mandate was specific and its presence did not negate the primary responsibility of the respective provincial governments and their administrations in ensuring that basic services were provided.

He said the Minimum Priority Activities stipulated that it was not only the prerogative of the provincial governments to provide these services, but to also maintain them by using their provincial, district and local level government services improvement programmes funding.

“The Boarder Development Authority is only there to support capacity building development to support Government agencies’ existence and functions in the border provinces,” Dion said.

“It must not be confused with taking over the role of the provincial, districts and LLG.”

Dion said cabinet recently confirmed the appointment of Fred Konga as executive chairman of the authority.

“I have issued instructions (to Konga) for appropriate actions to be taken immediately to verify the concerns raised,” Dion said. 

I will disclose a detailed report on this matter.”