New Britain passes biggest budget

By ALEXANDER NARA
THE West New Britain provincial government has passed a record budget of K132,314,396, the highest resource envelop ever presented and passed in the province in recent years.
It was 30% more from the K101,597,596 allocated last year.
Governor Peter Humphreys said the budget, themed “nurturing the seeds of prosperity for the future generations of West New Britain” comprised the national government grants of K67,146,490 which formed 50.7% sources of revenue while the provincial internal revenues of K65,167,906 provided the balance.
The national government grants consisted of K45,623,000 from personal emoluments with K18,773,190 as grants from goods and services and a national development grant of K2,750,000.
He said the internal revenue collections depended on provincial taxation derived from goods and service tax and benefits from natural resources as well as licences, fees and fines and business receipts from governments investments, which were still the cornerstone of the provincial government’s service delivery basket.
Humphreys confirmed a break-up of K1,788,100 was allocated to the province’s 11 local level governments under the LLG Village Services Programme.
He said the Bialla, Mosa, Talasea, Bali-Vitu and Hoskins LLGs, located around the northern part of the island, received K274,900, K188,700, K155,900, K104,400 and K146,900 respectively with the Kimbe Urban receiving K373,400.
Kaliai-Kove, Kandrian Coastal and Inland with Gloucester and Gasmata LLGs would each receive K144,400, K122,900, K97,800, K90,800 and K88,000 respectively.
Humphreys said K6 million had been allocated under the provincial roads assistance programme for the upgrading and improving of the provincial road system.
He said the government had given priority to the social sector and had allocated a large portion of the development budget to maintenance and upgrading of health and education facilities and their supporting infrastructure.
He said the budget component was designed to be efficient, effective and responsive to promoting holistic human development and institutional capacity-building for self-reliance and self-sustainment of the province.
Humphreys said the outline of the budgets emphasised the need to know and clearly articulate the different core businesses at the provincial, district and LLG levels and aimed at re-aligning the expenditure programmes with the development priorities outlined in Vision 2050, the development strategic plan 2010-30, medium-term development plan 2010-15 and the WNB integral provincial development plan.