PM: Govt funding directly

By MALUM NALU
PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill says when he went into the 2002 general elections, he promised the people of his Ialibu-Pangia electorate that he would bring better health, education and roads.
He told members of his ruling People’s National Congress party and its coalition partners at a dinner in Port Moresby last Wednesday night that it was why he pushed for the decentralisation of resources to the districts.
“We could not deliver those services because there was no funding and no resources handed down to the districts and provinces,” he said.
“When we came into Government in 2012, we decided to decentralise most of the resources. Now we have the districts and the provinces directly receiving funds.”
O’Neill said the services improvement programme funds for provinces and districts had revolutionised the delivery of goods and services in the rural areas.
“We look forward to working with you after the 2017 elections,” he said.
“Let us not make the mistake of going back to the past. We have laid the foundation – let’s build it from here onwards.”
Guests paid K50,000 per table of 10 at the Kokoda Ballroom – 106 tables were sold and five given away to the coalition partners of the People’s National Congress party at the fundraising dinner.