Official: Increase in DSIP funds bring changes

 THE increase in District Service Improvement Programme funds is making big difference and bringing changes to the lives of people in remote communities, an official says.

Nemsin Kibisep, chief executive officer of the Telefomin District Development Authority in West Sepik, said the increase triggered delivery of services in rural communities.

“In Telefomin, which is one of the most remote districts in the country, we were able to build roads infrastructures, bridges, schools, health centres and aid posts like never before,” he said.

“This is simply because of the increase in the DSIP funds.

“The Government has made the right decision to put huge money directly into the districts. This has made significant difference in the lives of most of the people living in the rural areas of the remote Telefomin and I am confident that other districts throughout the country also benefit from the increase in DSIP funds,” he said. 

Kibisep thanked the local MP for providing strong leadership. 

“I thank the member for Telefomin Solan Mirisim for his leadership to ensure that government services like roads, bridges, schools, aid posts, and air strips are improving and people are smiling in the bush. But one of the major impediments to deliver services effectively is the transportation costs,” he said. 

“For instance, the cost for a bag of cement in Daru is about K50, and for that same bag to be landed in Telefomin, the cost of that including freight would be K180 because we have to ship to Vanimo and airlift to Telefomin.”

He called on the Government to increase DSIP funds to remote districts to cater for the high costs of delivering services.