Samb: Don’t delay BPA funds

By GLENDA AWIKIAK
THE Minister assisting the Prime Minister on Bougainville Affairs, Sports and Constitutional Affairs, William Samb, is appealing against any delay to funds allocated for the Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA).
Samb, pictured, said whatever funding allocated for the work had to be released on time so that implementation and delivery of activities and processes carried out as planned.
“We had to have clear directions on how we address our financial issues and make sure financial issues do not affect us in driving the issues of Bougainville forward,” he said.
He said time was short as they only had only four months to go before the referendum and they did not want financial matters affecting efforts to deliver properly to the people of Bougainville.
Newly-appointed acting director John Anuma said their first task for the year starting this week were the post-referendum taskforce workshop and workshop on autonomy review.
“As the frontline agency responsible on Bougainville matters, our immediate task now is to work with departments that have engaged with us for many years and those include the Department of National Planning and Treasury, Prime Minister and NEC, Finance, Treasury, Attorney-General and others,” he said.
Minister for Peace Agreement and Implementation-Autonomous Region of Bougainville Albert Punghau said money budgeted for the programme should be drawn down quickly to the Bougainville Commission to put to work on the preparation and implementation of the peaceful process and outcome.