Official points out faults in development

Reports by GYNNIE Kero
CONTINUOUS changing of district administrators is one of the factors districts in the country do not submit acquittals on time, according to the Department of Implementation and Rural Development (DIRD).
First assistant secretary for Mamose and New Guinea Islands Anna Igo said such changes affected the stability of programmes in districts.
Igo highlighted that the DIRD and the National Economic Fiscal Commission (NFEC) needed acquittals from districts in order to determine grants for the districts.
“The acquittals show us how a district performed,” Igo said.
“Those (districts) that do not bring their acquittals, we do not know what problems they are facing.
“We have to go and find out together with provincial affairs and see how best the government will help.
“It may be capacity problem that’s why  they are not bringing back their reports, probably one of the factors is change of district administrators.
“There are many changes taking place and it affects the stability of their programmes.
“Another is lateness in release of funding.”
Meanwhile, last Friday Wewak MP Jim Simatab presented the district’s report from last year to Igo, who praised Simatab and said Wewak was the only district in East Sepik that was up-to-date with its yearly acquittals.
“We have a separate report for disaster alone which we spent so much money on,” Simatab told The National.
“K71,000 was spent on disaster alone, the amount does not sound big but we have done more than what we gave in terms of providing assistance at the village level, especially the Schouten Islands.
“Most disasters were on Biem, Kadovar and Ruprup islands.
“The district development authority also gave K100,000 each to the five local level governments in Wewak, a total of K500,000 for disaster.”