Service providers still waiting for payments

 THE government has been challenged to provide supplementary funding to offset debts owed to service providers before the local level government elections in June.

Deputy town mayor Chris Tomongo said this yesterday that service providers were “tired of the same excuse” and had vowed not to assist in the LLG elections.

An Electoral Commission source told The National in Madang that he supported the call, saying the onus was on the government to pay.

“The PNGEC asked for monies to settle debts owed but have only received K50 million of the K80 million requested. What should be done now is for the people to ask their respective MPs for at least some funding which can be pooled to pay off debts owed,” he said.

“In the case of Madang, the six MPs can put together K100,000 each which can offset the monies owed to debtors.”

The source said payments could also be made from the funds which were not used in the national election last year.

It is understood that Madang’s election budget for last year was K9 million of which K6.5 million was used leaving a balance of K2.5 million.