Identifying powers to transfer

EAST New Britain (ENB) has started the process of identifying certain powers that would be transferred to the province to provide quality services to its people.
Governor Nakikus Konga made the statement in reference to the province’s road to greater autonomy during his independence speech on Wednesday in Kokopo.
Konga said Oct 2, 2018, was a significant date for the province which saw the signing of the ENB accord or service delivery partnership agreement on autonomy as the decentralisation reform and strategy for empowering the province.
He said ENB was one of the first three provinces to start the process of greater autonomy after signing an inter-government agreement to start the process of performance based on greater autonomy or gradative decentralisation.
He said the ENB autonomy committee would provide the needed advice on the power transfer.
Konga congratulated the Autonomous Region of Bougainville on its referendum on independence.
He said ENB was now geared towards working in partnership with relevant stakeholders.
“I believe it is important for all of us to become more understanding and wise to rise above the differences and interest that we are always pessimistic about and that seek to separate us and weaken this unity of our province and nation,” he said.
Konga said the spirit of partnership was guided by an implementation strategy through the province’s autonomous arrangement framed at countering challenges and implementing reforms, finding solutions through effective leadership.
“We will start through the service delivery partnership agreement between the national government, provincial government and district development authorities (DDAs) provided for under section 6 of the DDA Act,” he said.