MP highlights difficulties faced in service delivery

ANGORAM is one of the most difficult districts in Papua New Guinea (PNG) to deliver government services because it is cut off by swamps and the Sepik River, MP Salio Waipo, pictured, says.
“Unlike other districts in East and West Sepik, we are not connected by road,” he said.
“Delivering basic services is extremely difficult and a big challenge, especially with limited funding.”
Waipo said the Government should come up with a policy giving special recognition and attention to remote and challenging districts so as not to allow blanket distribution of funds nationwide.
Waipo said the cost of delivering a project in a district that was linked by road was different from those connected by other means.
“Remote and challenging districts must be given funding in full or with greater support than others,” he said at the presentation of district service improvement programme (DSIP) funds in Port Moresby on Tuesday.
Waipo said despite the challenges, “we were able to manage the limited resources wisely and deliver some impact projects in the district”.
Some of these include the building of two new high schools, upgrading Angoram High School to secondary, a new district office administration building, construction of single police barracks and others.
“We only received K4 million this year and we are also making our commitment to acquit all funds received,” he said.
Department of Implementation and Rural Development deputy secretary Stephen Rambe commended Waipo and his team for complying with the legal requirement in submitting the acquittals.