District funding key for growth

SERVICE Improvement Programme (SIP) funds can bring economic growth and raise living standards if they are properly managed, Anglimp South-Waghi administrator Joseph Mangro says.
“District service improvement programme (DSIP) funds were the main source of income for service delivery in the district,” he said.
“SIP fund was a strategic rural intervention programme aimed at addressing a lack of development and basic government services targeting rural communities and villages.”
Mangro spoke at the presentation of the district DSIP 2018-2021 acquittal reports to the Implementation and Rural Development Department in Port Moresby last week.
He said the district acquitted more than K40 million in its annual report to the Government before the General Election 2022.
“We have to clear our books, all financial transactions and reports must be submitted to the respective agencies so (that) we can go to the polls with a clean sheet with no complaints from stakeholders,” he said.
Mangro said most of the funds were allocated to infrastructure projects, such as the sealing of roads, construction of bridges, health centres, aid posts, construction of double-classrooms for primary to secondary schools, rural electrification programmes to connect households with the electricity and other programmes like health.
He said about 10 per cent of the funds were given to churches.
“Churches play a significant role in the restoration of peace and harmony in communities,” he said.
Mangro said the churches play a vital role in service delivery ranging from education to health to the areas – most remote – where government could not afford to extend its hands to provide such basic services.
Therefore, he said the district administration was working closely with the churches in the electorate to ensure that basic services flow smoothly to rural areas.