Govt yet to transfer powers to Enga

ENGA Governor Sir Peter Ipatas says the Government is yet to transfer decentralisation powers to the provincial government and to the other two provinces granted administrative autonomy.
Sir Peter said they were still waiting for the transfer of powers to manage their own affairs instead of through Waigani.
Ipatas rates the old provincial government system as the best decentralised system suitable for the second-tier government system.
He said the provincial governments and the second-tier governments were closer to the people and understood their problems very well.
Therefore, it was only appropriate that government functions be decentralised to the provinces.
For example, he said the village court system was not uniform and did not follow a same process as the district court system.
He said the system and model used in Enga was not the same as in other provinces so were not applicable.
“The village courts in Enga use a different way to resolve conflicts. It is not the same as other provinces. So we should be allowed to manage our own village court system instead of controlling it from Waigani.
“Similarly, roads infrastructure, health services, the functions and powers of the NHC, the powers of lands and physical planning, mining and petroleum powers, education and finance and budget should be given back to the provinces while the Government performs an oversight role,” Sir Peter said.