Mayor wants unity in region

KOKOPO mayor Isidor Bonga says the way forward to have respective local level governments (LLGs) and towns is for all New Guinea Islands leaders and mayors to pull their resources together and share ideas.
“There must be unity in the islands’ mayor secretariat to effectively drive development and economy of the region,” he said.
Speaking at the closing of a week-long conference for LLG presidents and town mayors in Lorengau, Manus, last week, Bonga said the conference aimed to form a secretariat to ensure common regional issues were addressed and discussed at the national level.
“Such a secretariat would be an opportunity for all stakeholders to share experiences on how to develop their respective towns, in particular efficient municipal services,” he said.
“Some common issues discussed in this year’s conference include strengthening partnership and establishing dialogue, enforcing different taxes for locals and foreigners and conducting educational awareness to business partners on rules and regulations.”
Bonga said Kokopo, as a city, was “willing to share ideas with other towns in the region on the way forward to reach similar status”.