District plans and LLG elections

I REFER to your editorial comment on Feb 8 and also Minister Richard Maru’s comments on Feb 1 (deadline for five-year district plans) which are wholeheartedly supported.
However, the minister’s direction may have a consequential negative impact on the delivery of basic services.
While it’s the prerogative of the minister to order the submission of the district plans as expected, allow me to spell out the disadvantages that move may contribute if the plans are submitted before the LLG elections have been completed.
In fact some of these reasons are why many of the wards in almost all the districts in the country are in dire need of basic services for which the Government has released funds through PSIP, DSIP and LLGSIP grants.
Some of the reasons why the deadline submissions of the district plans should be postponed until after the LLG election are that many ward plans which are incorporated into the district plans through the LLG plans are in fact cut-and-paste products, because many councilors – either through ignorance, illiteracy or failure on the part of the president – do not submit the ward plans and are therefore unable to write up and submit proposals for basic services.
Be mindful of the fact that a cut-and-paste system is done by corrupt personnel within the district administration for their selfish gain.
The concern now is if the district plans (2017-22) should be submitted as directed before the LLG elections. If that is the case, I am afraid the same problems about basic services not reaching the people may still continue.
I therefore suggest that the five-year district plans (2017-22) should be differed until the LLG elections have been completed so the new councillors and presidents can take over the task of preparing and submitting them.
I believe it is only through the actual participation and contribution of the mandated councilors and the presidents that basic services can truly be realised by the 85 per cent of the population who live in the rural areas.

Concerned Ward councilor
nominee