PM welcomes master plan

 PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill has hailed the new Southern Highlands master plan for development.

O’Neill launched the plan in Mendi on Tuesday, which coincided with the launching of the provincial performance improvement programme funded by AusAID.

Also during the launching, it was announced that the Department of Personnel Management had approved the Southern Highlands provincial administrative structure, a timely decision that would complement the master plan in effectively delivering services.

“A plan is not just a plan, it is a promise. It is good to have a plan because it is a promise we make to our people,” O’Neill told Governor William Powi, provincial assembly members and guests at the launching.

“We make a lot of plans but people are already tired of our plans. 

“However, this plan is a promise, a promise we make to our people so it has to be judged by our people,” O’Neill said.

“They will trust us if we follow the plans and deliver as planned.”

The prime minister said the province was heading in the right way by following the national government’s policies but the onus was on the public servants to implement the plan so that the people could enjoy the benefits.

O’Neill appealed for unity among SHP leaders and the public servants to achieve results by working together to follow the plan and deliver services to the people.

He added that Southern Highlands and other provinces should emulate the political stability in neighbouring Enga where actual development was talking place.

“We have to follow such example. How you implement the plans depends on stability and unity and therefore, we need help from leaders and public servants to make the plan work,” O’Neill said.