Lufa people and leader commend national budget

By ZACHERY PER
THE people of Lufa district, Eastern Highlands, have applauded the government for a well-balanced 2012 national budget.
Vice-Minister for Finance and Treasury and Lufa MP Yawa Silupa described the budget as ‘well-balanced’.
Silupa praised the special emphasis on education while speaking at the grade eight graduation at Gotomi Primary School that coincided with the opening of four new teachers houses last Friday.
He said every government department, statutory body, province and agency received increased allocations.
Silupa, who is the lone National Alliance MP from Eastern Highlands, wants the government to continue to next year and implement the budget.
He said the government had given priority to providing free education from elementary to Grade 10 and 75%  school fee subsidies for grades 11 and 12.
He said education received more than K482 million of the K10.5 billion budget handed down by Polye last week.
“The release of K300 million to the Education Department from the supplementary budget is a vote of confidence for the O’Neill-Namah government,” Silupa said.
He said the Australian government supported the free and subsidised education policy and had provided financial help.
Silupa said the 6,700 teachers in the country should continue their excellent efforts in the 2012 academic year.
He encouraged Grade 8 students from Gotomi Primary School to do their best to remain in the education system and benefit from the free and subsidised education.