Government supports church partnership with K10 million

The National National

By HEZRON KISING and PETER ESILA
The Government has allocated K10 million to fund the Church-State Partnership, it was announced at the opening of Church State Partnership Development Forum in Port Moresby yesterday.
Minister for Police Jelta Wong acknowledged the partnership between churches and the State.
He said funding would be made available shortly so the churches would be able to continue their ministry in the country.
“As Government, we also acknowledge that unfavourable economic climate has impeded the progress of our partnership,” Wong said.
“Our Government is able to deliver on our commitment to our churches because the intention of our partnership is honourable.
“It is the intent of the Government to consolidate the partnership with the churches because churches, if not few, are the only reputable systems working to serve our people.
“In many remote places, with the absence of notable Government services, the churches provide much-needed services.
“Therefore, to honour the churches, the Government has come up with this funding arrangement under Papua New Guinea Church-State Partnership.
“The partnership framework is
limited to health and education services provided by the mainline churches.
“Churches have provided approximately 60 per cent of the health and education services to the people with or without financial support from the government.”
Some of the key areas that churches are providing are:

  • Services to the disability and elderly populations;
  • addressing gender-based violence;
  • addressing sorcery-related accusation and violence;
  • services to women, youth, and children; and
  • Church-run aviation services.

The programme was initiated in 2009-2014, with K155 million so far appropriated to churches and their agencies.
Menwhile, there is a need for a more inclusive church-State partnerships beyond the seven mainline
churches, says assistant-secretary for the Office of Religion, Warren Marape.
He said this was apart from just health and education.
Marape ws speaking during the partnership forum yesterday.
“Inclusive church-State partnership is basically about working together with churches in the country,” he said.
“It is about the programmes that churches are doing.
“The current policy framework only recognises the seven mainline churches.”
These are the Catholic, Salvation Army, Anglican, Baptist, Seventh-day Adventist, United and Evangelical Lutheran churches.
Marape said there were other churches that could be captured under the partnership to benefit from the K10 million allocated for this year.