Vaki rejects Planning Dept’s idea for merger

The Department of Implementation and Rural Development (DIRD) will not amalgamate with the National Planning Department or any other agency, says DIRD acting Secretary Aihi Vaki.
Vaki was responding to National Planning Secretary Hakaua Harry’s statement that there were plans in place for DIRD to be brought back under the Planning Department.
However, Vaki said that this was not possible because DIRD facilitated and coordinated services improvement programme (PSIP and DSIP) which was a  key government policy intervention for rural development.
“The services improvement programme (SIP) is a policy intervention which directs attention at the micro level, making impact through-out the nation; that is to say rural communities where the majority of our people live.”
Vaki said that DIRD was a different government agency headed by its secretary with its own ministry (Ministry of Finance and Rural Development) which Harry could not interfere with as it had different agency roles and responsibilities to pre-empt government’s policy, programmes and lack of protocols for the minister responsible.
He said amalgamations with other government agencies and departments were the prerogative of the National Executive Council (NEC).
“National Planning should focus more on macro level (higher policy level and planning for the future of the country) and not financing and implementing programmes and projects in all sectors. This is the role of the sector agencies,” Vaki said.
He said DIRD was conducting one on one inductions with the 111 MPs on the administrative guidelines and financial instructions so is providing workshops with district development authority boards and provinces facing implementation challenges and constrains in rolling out SIP.