LLG first in Morobe to submit acquittals

 By PISAI GUMAR

THE Wain-Erap council in Nawaeb, Morobe, has presented its K500,000 local level government support improvement programme (LLGSIP) fund acquittals to the Department of Implementation and Rural Development (DIRD).

Wain-Erap is the first, apart from two LLGs, Labuta and Nabak, from the 33 in Morobe to present its acquittals to DIRD programme manager-implementation Mathew  Kewandu on Tuesday.

President Charlie Foike and manager Joe Paru presented copies to the office of Finance, Planning and Treasury respectively.

The 60-page document was collated by Paru, Foike and Lenny Saking covering 2013 development programmes in health, education, community development, agriculture and livestock, law and order, commerce and tourism and administration.

It was endorsed by 18 ward councillors and two women representatives at their first LLG meeting last Friday.

Paru said the LLG still lacked basics to improve rural human livelihoods since its establishment in 1997.

Factors endured in slow delivery of LLG services include :

• Lack of political support from provincial and national leaders;
• district and LLGs administrative instability;
• inadequate funding, inappropriate mechanisms and initiatives to utilise the money accordingly;
• late release of fund certificates by provincial government;
• poor and unqualified contractors engaged to implement projects;
• red tape administration practice by treasury and district staff; and,
• Inability in project management.