New administrator keen to ‘take back Morobe’

By PISAI GUMAR
MOROBE administrator Bart Ipambonj is determined to encourage five major provincial government visions while restoring trust and confidence of public servants’ performance in provincial, district and local-level government administrations.
The five aspirations were to generate K1 billion provincial budgets by 2022, create economic activities, down-stream processing and Kisim Bek Morobe, education reform, triple one policy and inter-government provincial boundary sharing activities.
Ipambonj said the province was too dependent on the national government purse over the years instead of utilising available resources, generating own income so to spend where needed to diversify services to reach people.
“Kisim Bek Morobe, literally was not about K44 million inquiry, no; instead it has a lot of meaning but significantly, it means to realign administrative and government systems and functions including staff performances to operate in parallel” he said.
“It is purposely to ensure administration know how respective divisions are implementing provincial and national government aspirations and vice-versa; so we understand who is performing what roles and responsibilities and expected results.”
Ipambonj rephrased Kisim Bek Morobe (take back Morobe) to “Liberate Morobe”.
Ipambonj served Morobe for 34 years in various capacities as a patrol officer, sub-district secretary, Bulolo district administrator, Lae city manager then as provincial special projects officer until his current appointment.
He said that the inter-provincial border sharing activities was purposely to create and improve basic socio-economic services hub to cater border communities with six provinces sharing boundary with Morobe.
It will be created through road links include Lae-Finschhafen-Sialum-Wasu-Kabwum, Siassi Island ring road, Erap-Dinagat-Teptep, 40-Mile-Tsiletsile-Yakepa-Kainantu, Wau-Garaina-Central and Maus Markham-Salamaua-Morobe post-Northern.
“I am optimistic to lead the public servants and contribute to where it is due ‘to restore’ confidence in performing roles and responsibilities in provincial, district and LLG administrations,” he
said.
“My focus is ward areas through ‘operation strongim wards’ to ensure 33 LLGs become growth centres for village people so they come and stop at LLG stations instead of traveling to urban centres.
“As the government, we must bring services down to where the people are; it means resourceful public servants be trained and deployed to stationed at LLGs rather than district and provincial headquarters.”