Polye queries DSIP shortfall

 OPPOSITION leader Don Polye says his Kandep district has only received K6 million of its K10 million district services improvement programme funds for 2014.

He revealed this when presenting his 2014 DSIP acquittal report to Rural Implementation and Monitoring Department Secretary Paul Sai’i.

Polye said Government’s decision to withhold DSIP funds for opposition MPs was “a bad political culture to belittle the vibrancy of our democracy”.

“It is a very bad precedent set for our country to lure MPs (from the Opposition to the Government side) and your department should do something about it,” he said.

“It is discriminatory and only makes our people suffer.”

Polye said he released funds to MPs on both sides of the House when he was the Treasurer.

He said the partial release of funds did not stop him from implementing major projects in the district.

Polye said Kandep was striving to become one of the model districts in the country despite the socio-economic challenges caused by its remoteness.

“We have undertaken many projects including a new rural hospital, new police barracks, Kandep-Mendi highway, Kandep-Laiagam/Porgera Road among others,” he said.

Sai’i commended Polye for implementing impact projects which would lift the living standard profile of the people.

Sai’i said MPs must continue to deliver impacted projects with little money that was available so that people can benefit on the long term to improve their lives.