Sir Julius not happy with treatment

NEW Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan has expressed relief that the provincial budget for this year has finally been approved, but is disappointed with the way the Treasury minister and national government have treated his province.
“We were the first province in the country to submit our budget,” Sir Julius said.
“That was nearly three months ago, on Dec 19, and in the meantime other provinces have had their budgets approved while we had to wait.
“We have lost nearly all of the first quarter of the year because of delays in the office of the Treasury minister.
“It is just bizarre to hear Minister Stuckey (Ian Ling-Stuckey) congratulating himself for the New Ireland budget.
“He had nothing to do with preparing the budget.
“He has done only two things. First, he delayed approval for three months, putting us behind schedule on funding of very important programmes like old age and disabled pensions, roof over heads, ward level projects and others.
“Second, he has once again spun his web of fantasy, making promises of levels of national funding that he knows full well will never happen.”
Sir Julius said the national government had consistently failed to provide the support that it promised to the provinces every year in the national budget.
He said they were promised K162mil last year but got only K33.6mil – 20 per cent of the total.