Toni suggests new church and community development ministry

RELIGION, Youth and Community Development Minister Loujaya Toni has called for the establishment of a new ministry of church and community development in parliament yesterday.
Toni said her department was at the forefront of implementing goal five of the Alotau Accord of the government’s priority areas – gender, youth and churches, community and sports.
“This is a priority area, which calls for the establishment of a ministry whose mandate is to be on gender and youth,” she said.
“It calls for the church-government partnership
programme to be strengthened and expanded with support from development partners.”
Toni said under the new ministry, a national youth service programme should be established to engage and nurture young people to be nation-builders.
She said the policy direction called for the establishment of an old-age and disability pension scheme to be based on the experience of the New Ireland government.
The department would not develop any new policies except for the national social protection policy and the consolidation phase to build on policies under the integrated community development policy.
“The vision and mission will not change.
“However, its corporate goals have changed and now focus is on improving corporate governance, enhancing community livelihood and furthering human rights,” she said.    
Milne Bay Governor Titus Philemon was among other MPs who supported the new ministry which would look to churches to work in partnership with the government to develop the country.