Govt to abolish Border Development Authority

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
Inter-Government Relations Minister Kevin Isifu says the Government has made a decision to abolish the Border Development Authority.
He said this when inspecting the incomplete K90 million Asian Development Bank-funded border administration complex on Tuesday.
The authority was the implementing agency overseeing the construction of the complex since 2011.
“The Provincial and Local Level Government Department is now responsible to complete the construction of the multi-million kina Wutung border administration complex along the PNG-Indonesia border,” Isifu said.
“Border Development Authority is going to be abolished,” Isifu said.
“We are in the process of transferring the functions of BDA back to my department.
“As the lead agency, we will take back the responsibility to manage all the border administration as soon as we repel the BDA Act 2008.
“The government’s priority is to get this complex open and get other border agencies like Immigration, Customs, National Agriculture Quarantine Inspection Authority (and) Motor Vehicle Insurance Ltd to carry out their respective border management responsibilities.
“This complex needs to be completed to improve trade between both countries,” he said.
“My department has been managing border issues since 1975, until authority was established in 2008.
“When the authority was established by an Act of Parliament, it took over our responsibilities of border management.
“A lot of facilities along our international borders had fallen apart.”