Donors must respect policies, says Maru

By HELEN TARAWA
NATIONAL Planning and Monitoring Minister Richard Maru says donor partners interested in doing business with PNG must agree to spend 50 per cent of their development corporation funds on road infrastructure.
Maru, who counter-signed a financial agreement of the European Union’s 11th development fund totalling K340 million for the PNG Rural Entrepreneurship Investment and trade project for four provinces yesterday, said the Government’s relationship with donors was guided by the PNG Development Cooperation Policy 2018 – 2022.
“This document says that any donor wanting to do business with PNG through development cooperation funds, 50 per cent of those funds must go to infrastructure while the other 50 per cent can go to other elements,” Maru said.
“Papua New Guinea did not make a mistake in arriving in that.
“When you want to intervene in PNG in particular, the rural areas agriculture or any other sectors without roads you cannot deliver services.”
He said the PNG Development Cooperation Policy guided the Government on how to do business with donors.
“We expect them to respect the position PNG Government in our policy because we are a sovereign nation and any partner doing business with PNG must respect our policies and how we do business,” Maru said.
“In this case, the partners are the Government through Department of National Planning and Monitoring and I as the national authorising officer and EU.
“That is why I’m signing the agreement on behalf of the state today to bind the state in this agreement.
“In the negotiations, the partners might not agree on all elements in the way we want the agreement structured.
“Certainly, in our case we want roads to be included in this programme and the four provinces of Morobe, Madang, East and West Sepik have been included and we are thankful that EU has accommodated them.
“How can you spend K340mil without putting in any road infrastructure.
“We have insisted in planning that rural and commodity roads must be part of this scoping.
“Our farmers, once you give them farmer training, they must be able to get their products out to the market.
“We respect our donors but we expect them to understand our local situation and our context in PNG and have a mutual respect and when we are working on major agreements with major partners.”