No LLG chiefs, no link between people and Govt

PAPUA New Guinea is facing a very serious crisis with the absence of local level government presidents in provincial assemblies.
Without LLG presidents, there is no linkage between the people and the three-tier government system.
Since the amendment to section (10) of the Organic Law on Local Level and Provincial Government (OLLPG) was conducted in 1995, LLG presidents do not know where their place is in the current government system.
This was revealed by a senior fellow researcher with the National Research Institute (NRI) Dr Alphonse Gelu at a roadshow held at the University of Technology (Unitech) in Lae yesterday.
The LLGs, Dr Gelu said, were facing a crisis point with no capacity.
Dr Gelu said without these key people in the provincial assemblies, there were no connections between the local level, provincial and national governments.
“These people are the very link between the government and the people. They are the very ones who eat, sleep and wake up each day with the people,” he said.
According to a research carried out this year, it portrayed a number of issues that Dr Gelu described as “not so encouraging”.
After a profiling process was carried out on certain LLGs and districts in Southern region, the study found that there was a total breakdown in public administration.
The profiling was carried out in six districts and seven LLGs in Central, Milne Bay, Oro, Gulf and Western provinces.
A rollout would be conducted later this year and next year to other provinces in the country.
The profiling was to determine the capacity of districts and LLGs and also to provide an analysis of the findings.