Ire over delay in funds

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Tuesday July 2nd, 2013

 RABAUL MP Dr Allan Marat has lashed out at the Government for delaying the release of his district services improvement programme (DSIP) funds. 

“People who are responsible for ensuring the funds come to the district are silly because they do not understand that the people who suffer are those in the rural areas,” Marat said.

Addressing members of the Rabaul joint district planning and budget priorities committee late last week, he urged district officers not to play politics.

“I have a heart for the people in my district and am in the Opposition and will remain there and those in Government who take my being in Opposition as a reason not to release DSIP or DSG (district support grant) funds to the district do not understand that there is a greater national interest to be protected,” he said.

Marat said PNG’s leadership should not be boastful.

He said the first words of the preamble of the Constitution stated “We, the people of Papua New Guinea, united in one nation …”

“But this treatment from the Government in delaying our district funds is a discriminatory kind of practice where you do not release the same amount of DSIP to all members in both the opposition and Government,” he said.

“Those people in Government responsible are idiots despite their justification and they are making some people suffer unnecessarily.”

Marat highlighted a project proposal for water to be piped from Nonga to Tavui that was being delayed after the contract signing three years ago.

“Just because I am from there, does not mean they try to play politics with the K400,000 project as people are suffering and continue to fetch water from the well,” he said.

“I do not care about LNG being in the Highlands but you just provide fair and equal distribution of this nation’s resources.

“People of Rabaul district, Vanimo-Green and Wau-Bulolo are part of PNG and deserve fair and equal distribution.

“The Government is practising stone age politics that is not civilised and human.

“We, the people of Rabaul district, voted and supported the 2013 budget,” Marat said.

 “The Government wanted stability and argued for extension of 18 months to 30 months, but real stability could have been obtained by amending the constitution so that there was an upper house where all the crooked decisions could be made in the law house.”