Province expects K186m in grants

 THE Western Highlands provincial government handed down its provincial budget of K233.1 million in Mt Hagen on Monday.

Provincial assembly chairman and Governor Pais Wingti and members expect to see K186.663 million coming in the form of Government grants and the remaining from internal revenue.

Roads received K9.3 million, health K4.6 million, education K6.2 million, agriculture K4.7 million, liquor ban boom gate K670,000, rural housing scheme K2 million and the new court house building K30 million.

The remaining will cater for impact projects, sports, gratuity payments and other expenses. Wingti said the bulk of budget would go straight into impacted projects. 

He said the provincial government was planning to put in funds to boost areas where services were needed. 

“We will go ahead because infrastructure, health, agriculture and education are the key areas. 

“This money will boost the infrastructure, economy and agriculture so people can feel the government at the rural areas,” he said. 

 He said the province was on the right track with business, road and bridges and rural housing scheme taking shape.

Provincial finance chairman Nathan Wantape said there was a lot of business activities taking place.

He said internal revenue in 2013 was K14 million, last year was K25 million and this year K31 million.

“This means that Value Added Tax (VAT) has increased by K6 million,” Wantape said.

He said it was a good sign that business activities were increasing in the province.