Give the people what they need

 ENGA Governor Peter Ipatas’s recent call for the National Government to allow provinces and districts to take ownership of development makes a lot of sense. 

Ipatas should know what he is talking about, having been at the helm of the Enga provincial government for almost two decades.

The veteran politician, well-known for his free education initiatives, has been a keen proponent of decentralisation of government powers and functions.

“How many years have we seen Waigani falter in its functions? 

It seems like there’s no checks against the National Government and the national agencies,” Ipatas told Parliament recently. 

He believes there is a lot of room for improvement in Papua New Guinea’s three-tier system of government to make it more efficient and effective in the delivery of government services and programmes to the majority of citizens in the rural and remote areas of the country.

The O’Neill Government’s initiative to establish the district development au­thorities is a step in the right direction in improving the system. 

The development authorities will become the link between Waigani and the districts, which should cut the red tape and other hindrances.

Despite this initiative, Ipatas’ colleague governors should still support his call for the decentralisation of relevant powers and functions to the provinces and districts, which are the focus of the Government’s development priorities and programmes.

With increased funding and changes to the procurement processes, the governors can make a real difference in the way their provinces perform and develop

For a start, the governors need to drastically improve the quality of governance and the way they prioritise and manage their resources.

They need to take drastic measures to improve the performance of their provincial administrations as indicated in the 2008-09 report, which was presented to Parliament in 2013.

The provincial bureaucracy is responsible for im­plementing development programmes and projects throughout the province. It is responsible for effecting service delivery to the districts and local level government areas.

If the provincial administrator and key managers are not up to their tasks, as was the case in many provinces in the past, then programmes and projects are not fully implemented or are not implemented at all while the service delivery machinery grinds to a halt.

In other words, the provinces do not develop and grow according to the National Government’s plans and budget. 

As a result, the people suffer because they are denied essential services such as health and education as well as the opportunities to meaningfully participate in the economic activities to improve their standard of living. Provincial governments are a vital cog in PNG’s three-tier government machinery and have direct access to the rural majority of our people. 

The performance of their political leadership and bureaucracy is crucial to their success or failure and reflects on the National Government. 

It is imperative provincial governments are well equipped with the manpower and resources to carry out their tasks of serving the people.

By the same token, Members of Parliament must work closely with their respective governors, provincial governments and district authorities to ensure that government services are delivered on time and within budget.

Unfortunately, many of our people in the rural and remote areas are still missing out or not getting enough of the basic services that the government has been promising for years.

Many people continue to complain that their local MPs have neglected them since the last election but their grievances seem to be  ignored.

An elected leader has a duty and responsibility to serve his or her electorate, regardless of whether the people voted for them. They simply cannot ignore the people’s pleas for services and development.

With the significant increase in District Services Improvement Programme funding, from K10 million to K15m, MPs have no reason not to serve their people in the best way possible.

It is in their long-term interests to keep their constituents happy and contented.