Maru queries funding of ‘ghost projects’

By GYNNIE KERO
NATIONAL Planning and Monitoring Minister Richard Maru has questioned the allocation of “millions of kina” into “ghost projects” over the years.
Maru gave as an example the K2.5 million cocoa project in his Yangoru-Saussia district in East Sepik.
“I know National Planning department in the past has been funding so many projects. In my district, K2.5 million was given for a cocoa project. Most of it was never used for the project. How did we do that?  Who authorised this?” he said.
“I will be checking such projects. We need to clean up and build the integrity of this department and ministry so people and donors trust us.
“Im also aware of too many donors coming into the country and funding programmes that are aligned to our national priorities.
“If they are giving donor funds, it should be aligned to our national priorities. We need to make that clear to them.
“I am aware of some projects like road programmes.
“Only one region in the last five years has been receiving funding for district roads at the expense of all other districts.
“This will stop. Port Moresby is not Papua New Guinea. We must be fair to all.”   He told department staff in Port Moresby last Friday some infrastructure projects lacked economic justification.
Maru was also concerned about the slow progress of the National Identification (NID) project launched in 2014.
“You (department) cannot spend K250 million and only have 300,000 cards (ID) issued,” he said.
“The whole country needs to have the NID.”