ENB govt to fund rural service delivery projects

THE East New Britain (ENB) government has approved a total of 51 projects under the rural services delivery project (RSDP) programme that have been rolled out in four local level governments (LLGs).
This was revealed by ENB division of LLGs and justice adviser Rosemary Murure.
Murure said the screening of expressions of interest (EOIs) or proposals for project areas from 108 wards were submitted and 51 projects approved in Balanataman LLG in Rabaul, Raluana in Kokopo, Toma-Vunadidir in Gazelle and West Pomio in Pomio.
She said under the 51 projects, 44 were ward projects while seven were women’s group projects that were approved and nominated for funding that had been jointly allocated by the ENB government and other donors.
The projects are: Balanataman-12 (11 ward/1 women); Raluana-13 (11 ward/ 2 women); Toma-Vunadidir-12 (10 ward/2 women); and, West Pomio-14 (12 ward/ 2 women).
“The projects are basically the needs of the community such as community halls, water projects, classrooms, markets and other livelihood projects,” Murure said.
She said for the approved projects, most of the major infrastructure projects were community halls and water supply projects.
Murure said it was important that all wards had to have community halls because it was the priority of the provincial government as wards represented the government’s presence in the communities.
“Many communities in the province do not have proper places to hold community meetings and people gather at the ward member’s house or under tree.”