Marape: Govt working to make sure churches receive funding

National

By TONY PALME
Department of Youth Religion and Community Development is working on an inclusive policy to ensure churches that miss out on the PNG Church-State Partnership Programme (PNGCSPP) are considered next year.
Acting secretary for religion Warren Marape last Friday said it was unfortunate for some churches not in the partnership to have missed out on funding.
This is despite the fact that they provided education, health and spiritual services to the people in the country.
Marape said under the social development programme that was in place from 2008-2012, any church was funded.
He said that changed in 2012 when the Government changed the structure of the programme.
“Under PNGCSPP, the Government recognised only seven mainline churches – the Catholic Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG, Baptist Union, United Church of PNG, Seventh-day Adventist, Anglican and Salvation Army,” he said.
“We have other churches there that are very committed in providing services to people in very remote places that Government cannot reach.
“We understand this situation and it’s very unfortunate.
“We are working on changes to rectify it and hopefully, next year, they will be considered for funding.
“By March, when the Government releases K10 million for churches this year, it will be distributed among the seven mainline churches.”
Marape said this funding support was specifically to help churches in their infrastructure development.