DSIP vital for service delivery, says Abel

THE district services improvement programme (DSIP) is important for service delivery and the government should continue to support it, Alotau MP Charles Abel says.
Abel, the former Treasury minister, said this when presenting Alotau’s 2019 DSIP acquittals totaling K8 million to the Department of Implementation and Rural Development (DIRD) yesterday.
“The DSIP continues to be very important as one of the few ways that there is some equity in funding to provinces and districts in maintaining fairness by making sure everybody receives it,” he said.
“Unlike under the public investment programme, it can be arbitrary or deliberate because you don’t necessarily receive funding.
“A classic example is that Milne Bay has not received any public investment funding for 2020.
“So, if it was not for this capital funding provided through the DSIP, Milne Bay would be getting nothing.
“The DSIP is important and I hope the government continues to support it.
“It also maintains fairness in other areas of the national budget so everyone gets a fair share.”