LLG president questions budget

A LOCAL level government president has called on the Government to explain why funds for local level governments have not been budgeted for.
Mekeo LLG president John Apini said this during an induction session this week where he and his colleagues were told by the Department of Implementation and Rural Development that there was no allocation for their service improvement programme funds.
Apini said they served an important role as they close were to the people.
“We are required, under the law, to frame LLG budgets, some of which are incorporated in district and provincial budgets. Our budgets got approved, but there is no money remitted for us to deliver and implement projects and programmes prescribed in the budget,” he said.
“The unallocated money is then rolled over to the next fiscal year as consolidated revenue.
“And when that fiscal year arrives, we never get the money.”
Department acting assistant first secretary for Southern and Highlands, Gordon Wafimbi, spoke about the roles and responsibilities of the department and how leaders and administrators at the sub-national levels should implement SIP funds transparently.
Wafimbi told the presidents about the importance of observing the administrative guidelines, financial instructions, process and procedures on the implementation of SIP funds.
The SIP funds were introduced in 2013.
Each LLG president received K500,000.
In 2015 and 2016, the amount was reduced to K100,000.