Projects given to provinces

The National National
Minister for Works and Highways Michael Nali (left) and Manus Governor Charlie Benjamin with the signed MoA at the Department of Works headquarters in Port Moresby. Manus was also part of New Guinea Islands contingent that sign the pact on Friday. – Picture supplied

By KELVIN JOE
THE provincial government and district development authorities (DDAs) in the New Guinea Islands, including the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (Arob), will now be responsible for maintaining and upgrading their own roads, an official says.
Works and Highways Minister Michael Nali said East and West New Britain, Manus, New Ireland and Bougainville governments would start receiving direct funds and manage all provincial and district roads from this year onwards.
“The transfer of decision-making powers and road management responsibility from the Works and Highways Department to the sub-national authorities is signed in line with the Road Management Act of 2020,” he said.
Nali said this following the road management performance agreement signing and transfer of provincial and district roads to provincial government and DDAs between his department and the provincial governments and DDAs in New Guinea Islands and Bougainville government in Port Moresby on Friday.
He said the agreement included:

  • THE transfer of road management powers and functions from the department to the provinces which was part of decentralisation;
  • ADMINISTRATIVE decentralisation which would see road management continuity transferred from the department to the sub-national level and the department would assist where necessary;
  • FINANCIAL decentralisation where budgeted funding under the Government for national agencies would be transferred to sub-national authorities or to sub-national roads gazetted by the minister; and,
  • PROCUREMENT decentralisation where the procurement for provincial and districts roads could be done at the sub-national level with K10 million and K5 million threshold the respective limit.

Nali said the provincial and district administrations were going to be responsible and accountable for the condition of roads under them.
He said the transfer of powers would enable the DDAs and provincial governments to have enough for their roads works.
Meanwhile, Nali urged the provincial government and DDAs to work together to improve road conditions through the sharing of powers and responsibilities.
He said about K600 million would be disbursed for all sub-national roads throughout the country annually.
Nali said his department would only concentrate on the national roads and highways and the Connect PNG programme.