O’Neill: Funding cut will hurt districts, provinces

The National Main Stories

By GYNNIE KERO
FORMER Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, pictured, has condemned the planned slashing of service improvement programme funds for provinces and districts saying it will hurt the people, especially those in rural areas.
O’Neill was responding to a statement by his successor James Marape warning that cuts should be expected in the funding of certain programmes when the Supplementary Budget is tabled in Parliament next month.
Marape mentioned the district service improvement programme (DSIP) and provincial service improvement programme (PSIP).
O’Neill said the DSIP and PSIP were established and maintained by the Government when Marape was finance minister “so that government services could be planned and delivered at the local level, and not simply imposed by Waigani”.
“This is the only funding that goes directly to our districts and provinces,” he said.
“For many years now, through these programmes, the districts and provinces have been able to work with communities to deliver services and projects needed by the people.
“Slashing of these funds will mean services in healthcare, education, community development and security will go into decline.
“Every district and province in our country has planned for the delivery of these promised funds for the remainder of 2019 for the betterment of their people.”
O’Neill said MPs and governors would have to explain to their people why the services had to be slashed by the Government in 2019.
“In over seven years in government, we ensured that DSIPs and PSIPs were paid despite the trying economic times,” he said.
“The Government already has within its means the savings that are required to fund the budget, such as the reforms in government salaries.
“These public service reforms that we initiated in previous years are now coming to fruition and should be fully implemented without fail.”
O’Neill said the Government should manage the budget “without taking drastic measures
that are not properly thought through which could only hurt our people”.

4 comments

  • Mr. O’Neil now that a vacancy has been created in the opposition bench, it’s created an opportunity for you and your loyal MPs a better chance to showcase your talents. PMJM has already shown you the road to ship out of the government and now there’s an opportunity of a lifetime to be an opposition leader. Grumbling behind the shadows will just cause you undue stress and your mutterings will still fall on deaf ears.

  • Like he really cared for the people with his inflated projects and excessive borrowings during his term. The former PM is contradicting himself here. He should be asking himself who created this mess creating deficits in the budget which resulted in the slashing of funds mentioned. He was the PM who was on a borrowing and spending spree.

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