Electricity, services priority for Kikori

Head of Kikori district development authority (KDDA) says reliable power supply and access to services is a priority.
Chief executive officer Tars Sauka said this yesterday when presenting the district services improvement programme acquittals for 2018.
The acquittals included the disaster relief report, discretionary and non-discretionary funds and part of 2017 DSIP reports to the Department of Implementation and Rural Development.
“Because our district had been without a power supply for almost 20 years, we had been left backwards,” Sauka said.
“In this time and age power means everything, including computer use, internet, light and more.
“Lack of electricity has prevented the district officials in the past to perform their functions in Kikori, thereby escaping to Port Moresby and squandering the people’s money in the hotels.
“As such, when Soroi Eoe was elected as our MP, who is also the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Religion; he has tasked us to put the money to right use and prioritise the needs in the district.”
Sauka said the district decided to purchase three huge generators at a total cost of K1.5 million.
He said the generators would be installed soon in Kikori, Baimuru and Ihu stations.
Sauka also said since Kikori was a waterlogged district, which is surrounded by intricate river system, water transport also prioritised in that regard.
He said the district also purchased 23 banana boats including 40 horse powered motors and distributed them to all tribal groups in the district.
Department of Implementation and Rural Development acting secretary Aihi Vaki commended the KDDA for being the first district to submit the 2018 acquittals, adding that it was a model district that others to should emulate.
Vaki said his officers would go through the reports get back to them if anything needed to be verified.