MP: Madang govt the worst

 SUMKAR MP Ken Fairweather has asked the Government to look into the poor services provided by the Madang provincial government.

“The Madang provincial government comes out worst,” he told Parliament last Friday.

“On education, we have the lowest performing educators in Papua New Guinea.

“We have a non-existent agriculture department. We have a health department that works in some districts but not in others.”

He said land issues and maintenance were in a mess and the infrastructure provided by the provincial government was basically zero.

“The public service morale is so low that it might not exist. 

“The public service is over-Madangnised so it just doesn’t bother to function,” he said.

“I believe the Public Accounts Committee has been visiting Madang and is only touching the surface of the problem. They’re only looking at something of the past.”

Fairweather said it had been good over the past 15 years but it was now getting worse, adding that nothing was coming out from all the funds that the Government was paying to the provincial government.

“Nothing. Not one shilling, not one toea. Zero. 

“If you compare it with East New Britain or New Ireland or Western Highlands or wherever, we are going backwards. 

“My question is simple: Minister, will you suspend the Madang provincial government after following due process?”

Inter-Government Relations Minister Leo Dion said he had no powers to suspend provincial governments.

Dion added that provincial governments were not run by governors alone. 

“Under the framework of provincial government system there are provisions in empowering all leaders of a particular province to work together,” Dion said.