PM says meeting ended successfully

PRIME Minister James Marape says the Joint Supervisory Body (JSB) meeting on Buka Island in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (ABG) last Thursday ended in fruitful resolutions.
“Let me thank the leadership of Bougainville under President Dr John Momis, that the JSB meeting reached mutual and fruitful resolutions from both sides of the house,” he said.
“One of the best resolutions and of greater importance in my view is to devolve some of the functions and powers of running the affairs of the region and that is to generate their own revenue.
“The Government mechanism has to support the ABG to ensure that they are self-sufficient in revenue generation.
“We have had political independence. But what use it is when our people don’t have money in their pockets?
“People must have money in their pockets and be economically and financially independent.’’
Marape said the meeting also resolved issues such as the restoration and development grants that the Government had to pay Bougainville as part the Bougainville Peace Agreement.
“It is not about the figure of money but about trust and understanding in working together.”