LLGs split to cater for census

Lae News, Normal
Source:

By EVAH BANIGE

A NUMBER of local level government (LLG) boundaries in Morobe province have been split.
This was revealed by provincial census officers at the provincial administration office during a meeting held by the Provincial Census Steering Committee last Friday.
The meeting was held primarily to update committee members of the progress of activities leading up to the main activity in July.
The province which has been divided into two zones-Lae and Morobe-will see two census groups working in the province come July.
The Lae Zone is made up of Markham, Lae, Bulolo and Menyamya districts and the Morobe zone of Nawaeb, Huon-Gulf, Kabwum, Tewai-Siassi and Finschhafen districts.
In the Menyamya district, the Aseki LLG boundaries have seen two new LLGs emerged, in that of Nanima-Kariba and Kapau LLGs.
In Bulolo, Mumeng LLG also has two new LLGs-Mumeng and Buang.
In the Finschhafen District, the Jabem-Mape LLG has another new LLG which is Finschhafen Urban.
Hube LLG has Hube and Burum-Kuat LLGs which brings the total number of LLGs in the district to five from three during the last update in 2007.
In the Kabwum district, Seko LLG has been split to Selepet and Komba LLGs
This had been done in order to help pave the way for the coming national population census in the country.
Provincial Census Co-ordinators for the two zones Carl Bagga and Cephas Arpi said the census involved three phases – preparation, listing and update of ward boundaries and the actual counting in July.
The first phase had been completed while the second stage is in progress that will see the actual update of ward boundaries and electoral maps next month.
Chairman of the steering committee and acting deputy provincial administrator Bart Impamboj commended the committee for their efforts.
However he said the process of coordinating and monitoring would become difficult as time progresses towards the actual counting days.
Mr Impamboj said LLG census coordinators had been appointed and should be receiving their notification letters signed by the provincial administrator this week.
However, a major difficulty faced by the committee at present is the need to establish and open a trust account where funds for the exercise could be deposited.
Acting provincial accountant Philemon Nagopu said there had to be a national instrument from the Finance Department or the National Statistical Office (NSO) for a trust account to be opened for funds to be deposited.
He said he tried to contact the accounting and finances division and treasury in Port Moresby, but all his attempts had been to no avail.