Provinces present budgets to Abel

By HELEN TARAWA
Morobe and Manus presented their 2019 provincial budgets to Treasurer Charles Abel yesterday.
Abel, while receiving the budgets for the provinces, said the Government was committed to support provincial, district and local level governments.
Morobe Governor Ginson Saonu, who presented his K441 million budget to Abel, said the three focus areas for the budget were administration (40 per cent), development (27 per cent) and service delivery (33 per cent).
“This budget is going to be the foundation of whatever we will achieve in the next 30 years,” he said.
“We have nine districts that have their plans which align with the provincial plans.
“We would like to lay the foundation for economic growth, but at the same time we are trying to bring services into the villages.
“Economic growth must start from the villages.
“We have to create conducive environmental for economic growth in the ward areas.
“Our focus is on villages starting from wards to the districts.”
Manus Governor Charlie Benjamin, when presenting his K141 million budget, said it was focused on sustaining economic development for the island province.
“The budget has been designed taking into consideration the economic challenges faced by this government, the uniqueness and remoteness of this province,” he said.
Benjamin said education received the biggest slice with the opening of a new Akip High School between East Sepik and Manus, as well as development of two existing ones.
“We are working on Manus economic autonomy, which is aimed at sustaining the island’s economy. By end of October, we should have all our documents to talk to the National Government and we have spent a bit of money on that,” he said.