LLG president calls for fairer distribution of funds

 By ELIAS LARI

THE government is urged to look at the number of council wards before making funding available to each local level government.

Some councils had more than 50 wards while others had fewer than 10 and the K500,000 given to each LLG was not fair, Mt Giluwe LLG president in Western Highlands Michael Mai said.

Speaking during the opening of the inquiry into the Organic Law on provincial and local level governments in Mt Hagen yesterday, Mai said that he had 52 council wards and there was an LLG in Rabaul that had 13 wards and it was not fair to both LLGs to receive the same amount.

Distribution to all LLGs and wards needed to be fairer, he said.

Mai said direct funding to LLGs was a good decision.

“I have 52 wards to think about but look at the other from Rabaul; I think the distribution to us is not fair,” he said.

“The government was wise to look into the LLGs but my concern is the number of wards and the population it takes care of,” Mai said.