Govt promises Manam K15mil in aid

THE Government has made a commitment to release K15 million for the Manam Restoration Authority following the release of the initial K5 million.
National Planning Minister Richard Maru said the Government would ensure that over the next two months, the remaining balance of K15 million was made available to the authority.
He made this known last week during a meeting with members of the Manam Restoration Authority, including the Minister for Inter-Government Relations Pila Niningi and Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs (DPLGA) secretary Dickson Guina, Bogia MP Robert Naguri and authority chairman Ken Fairweather, among others.
Maru said K20 million was allocated in the 2019 National Budget for the resettlement of Manam people at the care centres and the first K5 million was released last month to the DPLGA; it would now make this K5 million available to the authority.
It was agreed that K7.5 million would be made available next month and the final K7.5 million the following month.
Maru said the Government now required the restoration authority to submit the overall plan for the development (fully costed) and bring to the state so that they could look at some funding from the national budget and development partners next year.
He added that the management of the funds would be overseen by the authority’s board.