Wapenamanda launches 5-yr plan

By YVONNE HAIP
WAPENAMANDA in Enga is the first local level government in the country to launch its five-year (2012-16) ward development plan.
A crowd witnessed the launching by Finance and Treasury Minister Don Polye last Monday at the Wapenamanda district office.
The plan prioritises education development, rural infrastructure and community services. Focus will also be placed on health, law and order.
LLG president Nick Andake, ward councilors Kopilyo Tipitap and Peter Sambai, council manager Michael Minani and district administrator Henry Kapao took five years to formulate the plan with technical support from the provincial planning division.
The plan was completed in 2010 and would have been launched last November but for the political impasse. It has been deferred three times.
The plan was formulated after taking into account the views and updated data from the villagers, ward councilors and community leaders.
A total of K300, 000 was spent during the exercise because team leaders had tried to involve the community to provide information for the plan.
A ward development committee bank account was also opened.
Audit teams will carry out auditing in the communities so that the people know how their money is being spent.
Polye said the plan, with its bottom-up approach, had been lacking in the country since Independence – depriving the communities of services.
He allocated K3.5million to implement part of the plan this year.
 The LLGs will receive money directly from the finance and treasury department to ensure accountability.
The old practice was that money was dispatched from the department of finance and treasury to the provincial treasury and on to the district treasury. It saw funds being misappropriated in the name of administrative costs.
Polye said the government was looking at minimising corruption and empowering the rural people.
The LLG president and ward councilors want to implement the plan before the general election.