East New Britain set to progress revenue policy

THE East New Britain government is set to further progress its provincial revenue enchantment policy (Prep). This was revealed by deputy governor Cosmas Bauk. Bauk said a technical working group was also approved to formulate three local level governments (LLG) revenue enchantment by-laws and to conduct a ward economic value identification exercise. He told The National in Kokopo yesterday that the rationale behind the policy submission stemmed from the failure of the Government to fully fund and allocate the legal constitutional grants to LLGs over the last 25 years as well as other factors. Bauk said the provincial government needed to empower LLGs and wards to be able to provide for themselves. He also said LLGs needed to be empowered generate revenue and be able to efficiently manage funds allocated to them. Bauk added that LLGs needed improve governance and had to have delegated powers to achieve these goals. He said these goals were all leading to greater autonomy for the province. “For autonomy, it requires self-financing, governing and administering LLGs to manage themselves and their wards autonomously,” he said. The proposed policy include head tax, corporate tax and trading licence fees among others.