Provinces ‘should have more say’

 PROVINCES should have more say in their resource wealth, New Ireland mining and policy consultant Dr John Kwimb says.

He told an inquiry into the Organic Law on Provincial Governments and Local Level Governments last Thursday that it was not fair to the provinces to see their resources utilised for Port Moresby’s benefit.

“Provinces generate money but they are not empowered to retain this, or decide on how much to be retained,” Kwimb said.

“For example, one of the services that our people need is electricity supply.

“We should have a law to provide electricity services to the people. A gas developer must put in place a gas-fired generator and part of the gas produced must be supplied to provide electricity, then we can deal with water, housing, and others.

“The present system we have is that provinces produce the wealth, but the wealth leaves the provinces, and the provinces remain poor.”