More freedom promised to performing provinces

INTER-GOVERNMENT Relations Minister Kevin Isifu says they will give greater autonomy to best performing provinces.
“We have already declared autonomy status to Enga, East New Britain (ENB) and New Ireland provinces for their best performances and we are now looking at other provinces for the second stage of autonomy,” he said.
“We want to give provinces autonomy so that we can enable them power to develop the economy and bring services to the people. At the moment administrative powers for funding to the provinces and districts are done in Port Moresby and so slow or no development is taking place throughout the country.”
Isifu also said the National Electoral Boundary Commission and the Constitutional Law Reform Commission were working together to split up large electorates and create new ones before the 2022 elections.
West New Britain Governor Sasindran Muthuvel said that there were large electorates like Talasea with 300,000 people and Kandrian 100,000, whereas Rabaul in East New Brian had 40,000 and Abau in Central had 50,000.
“We must be serious to split new electorates, not only for WNB but Gazelle (ENB), Ijivitari (Northern), Kairuku-Hiri (Central) and others. Also can the Government give special support grants to these large electorates because it is unfair when you are giving K10 million to 50,000 people and also the same to 300,000,” Muthuvel said.
He also asked for West New Britain to have financial autonomy like Enga, NIP and ENB.