New EHP headquarters gets K3m

Highlands, Main Stories
Source:

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

THE National Government has allocated K3 million for the construction of a new district administration headquarters for Unggai-Bena in Eastern Highlands province.
Member for Unggai-Bena and Environment and Conservation Minister Benny Allan said the funding was an addition to the K14 million disbursed to the district under the district services improvement programme.
“I want to thank the Somare-Temu Government for the allocation for the district administration headquarters.
“Such funds to help develop the district’s infrastructure have not been seen in the past 34 years,” he said when announcing the rejection of the recently approved K84.87 million provincial budget of Governor Malcolm Kela-Smith.
“I still think the budget is unfair to some districts like Unggai-Bena which have been overlooked in the last two years.
“The budget was initially rejected because there was no consultation with the districts.
“Now that the budget has been passed, I still feel there was no proper consultation and most MPs were not informed of the provincial executive council and provincial assembly meetings,” he said.
On another matter, Mr Allan urged the National Government to allocate funds for roads to the Works Department instead of the provincial governments.
He said the department had the capacity and expertise to provide the service to the community.
“Such allocations to provincial governments had not been used for construction and road repairs.
“Most roads are well maintained by the department but not so when the responsibility is given to the provincial government,” Mr Allan said.