PM: K2bil for infrastructure

By JEFFREY ELAPA
THE national government has allocated almost K2 billion to districts and province out of the K13 billion national budget to fix deteriorating infrastructure, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said.
He said during a tour of the Gulf province last week, that people should not complain about the lack of services because the government had been channeling so much money for services directly to them.
He said Gulf would receive more than K200 million over the next five years (and not for just 2013) as might have been read from The National article yesterday).
“Don’t say we lack services as I have allocated K10 million each over the next five years for my people in the districts for the first time after 37 year.
“And I have further doubled that for the provinces and that is too much to start to get the basics right but to be accountable,” he said.
He said the funds were strictly for the people and therefore every leader has to be transparent as they are accountable to the people.
“Our job is to serve the people. The funds are strictly for our people and I warn that many people will go to jail if these funds are not used properly and are abused.
“You have to hold us accountable,” the Prime Minister told people at Kerema town last Friday.
He said things would not improve immediately but can gradually do so over the years as every district would have received a total K50 million each by the time five years were up.
“This is so much money for the first time in the history of this country to transfer all funds from Port Moresby to the districts and that has happened because of the change in leadership,” he said.
Meanwhile, the prime minister said education was a right for every child and the government had released more than K350 million under the tuition free education policy and there was no excuse for schools not starting or charging project fees above K200.
“I grew up in the village and I know the difficulties parents find in paying for their children’s fees. I know how my mother used to walk to her sisters to help pay for my fees and, therefore, I will make sure free education becomes compulsory in the country.
“It is also sad to see our people dying from curable diseases and it is a crime to allow them to die like that.
“I am concerned that hospitals and health centres are charging fees.
“There is no need for hospitals and health centres charging fees as they do not own the facilities or buy the drugs. This is irresponsible, you should not charge fees.
“Why charge fee? Isn’t that too much when the government is helping,” the prime minister asked.
He said law and order was also one of his five key pillars of development.
He called on all citizens to take ownership of what the government was doing to improve the lives of the people.