K430mil welcomed, but still not enough

The Marape Government deserves a compliment for recognising the special needs for Bougainville by allocating K430.1 million in next year’s budget.
No other Government has done that. However, the K430 million is still not sufficient to run an autonomous region which is gradually building up to establish its own constitutional offices which will require far more funding.
On top of that, the K260 million for projects is also insufficient to meet deteriorating infrastructure such as roads and bridges, particularly on mainland Bougainville.
In summary, running a semi independent territory (autonomous region) like Bougainville is equivalent to managing an independent state of its own.
Therefore, it will require more (funds) to run an autonomous government.
Furthermore, while Bougainville’s funding may be seen as highest compared to other provinces, let us not forget that Bougainville is still owed more than K800 million grants by the PNG Government under the Bougainville Peace Agreement.
When will the Government allocate the K800 million outstanding under the agreement?
Despite this, this allocation should also be a challenge to the Autonomous Bougainville Government to effectively manage whatever is given by the Government, particularly given that the economic condition of the country is not viable.
It is time leaders use the funding allocated with care and caution and to ensure that whatever is used is done so to drive the economic recovery of the region.

Mason Jason