Local level govts sign agreement

A MEMORANDUM of agreement was signed between the three urban local level governments of Kokopo-Vunamami, Rabaul and Kavieng last Friday.
The agreement signing shows a relationship to share information on how to effectively deliver goods and services to town residents.
It was signed by Kokopo-Vunamami city lord mayor Diuvia Kopman, Rabaul urban local level government mayor Changol Manuai and Kavieng urban local level government mayor Stanley Mansini.
Three senior officers from Kavieng urban local level government were in East New Britain last week on a fact finding mission and to learn from their counterparts in Kokopo and Rabaul.
Mansini openly admitted that the Kavieng town lacked the capacity to generate internal revenue to sustain its operations and with the delay in local level government support investment programme grants, they found it difficult to deliver services to residents in town.
He said Rabaul and Kokopo were way ahead in effectively delivering services to their residents than other local level government areas.
Mansini thanked the Rabaul and Kokopo-Vunamami local level government areas, their ward members and administrations, saying they (Kavieng LLG) tried their best to capture everything so they could return and implement it in their town.
The three mayors have ultimately decided to revive the New Guinea Islands secretariat along with their counterparts in the region to discuss challenges they faced and form a voice to bring issues affecting them to the national level.
Kopman said Kokopo would host the first NGI secretariat conference later this year.
He said the revived secretariat would look into issues such as funding cuts to local level governments across the country and allowances for ward members.
Kopman said the initiatives were to find ways on how we can serve the people to deliver better goods and services to improve their lives.