LLG to get council chamber

National
Source:
The National, Monday July 11th, 2016

A COUNCIL chamber will be built soon for the people of Lower Jimi LLG in Jiwaka.
Last week Jim MP Mai Dopp presented a cheque of K200,000 to a local builder to begin work on the chamber, the first to be built in this remote part of Jimi district.
The money is allocated from the District Services Improvement Programme (DSIP) funds made available by Dopp who met councillors from Lower Jimi in Koinambe Primary School last week.
Dopp said the council chamber was one of a number of infrastructure projects for the district under his 10-year plan.
“This council chamber and other projects we are rolling out, using the DSIP allocated to us by the Government, will improve decision making and service delivery in our electorate,” he said.
“As we upgrade our roads neglected since independence, vital infrastructure to be used by our local leaders here for decision-making must be built to cope with the change that is coming.”
Councillor Michael Bowa, of Kupeng Ward 6 welcomed the change.
“Since independence we have been asking for a council chamber to be built,” Bowa said.
“I fought for it for 10 years. My father, who was a councillor too, also did.
“We were promised so many times over the years. This is not a promise. “We have the cheque.
“We will help the builder build it.”
The councillors also expressed their concern to Dopp about the non-payment of their allowances promised by the Government.
“The Government promised to put us on their payroll yet we have not been paid since this announcement,” Bowa said.
“The common roll update for the 2017 general election is around the corner and if the Government wants this process to be smooth, they have to pay us first.”
Dopp said he would raise the matter with the prime minister and deputy prime minister, who is responsible for provincial and local government affairs.