MP angry over funding

By ZACHERY PER
HENGANOFI MP Robert Atiayafa is angry because his district has not been allocated any funding in the 2018 Eastern Highlands provincial budget.
Atiayafa questioned Governor Peter Numu over the distribution of the K21 million projected revenue among the districts.
Provinces are required to raise their own revenue from Goods and Services Tax, Motor Vehicle Insurance Limited, liquor licensing, business investments and other internal means.
Eastern Highlands plans to raise more than K21 million this year from which K18m will be spent on transport infrastructure.
Atiayafa said seven of the eight districts in Eastern Highlands had been allocated funding while Henganofi received nothing.
“Where do the 65,000 people of Henganofi district belong to?” he said. “Are we part of Madang or Morobe?
“We use public amenities everyday, contributing to the GST.
“We own many buses, we pay much to MVIL, liquor licences.
“Why should a district contributing to internal revenue miss out?
“How can Henganofi be overlooked?”
He plans to take the issue up with the Government to urge Treasury and Finance Departments not to approve the provincial budget.
Numu, in response told Atiayafa, said that he had performed exceptionally well in the past five years to build good roads into the rural areas of Henganofi.
“We are focusing on other districts that are struggling to build good transport infrastructure to get allocations,” he said.
“But I will fund the Henganofi market development and other projects in the district.”