Ward launches 5-year plan

By MICHAEL WARTOVO
VUNADIDIR ward in the Toma-Vunadidir local level government (LLG) of Gazelle, East New Britain, has set the pace in launching its five-year ward plan.
The plan, from 2019-2024, is a road-map in improving its service delivery programme at ward level.
ENB deputy governor and Bitapaka LLG president Comas Bauk, when launching the plan, said the document was vital and would be an example to the other 386 wards in the province.
“We have been running a government that has lost focus on our wards and this document will be a step in the direction leading in to the future,” he said.
Bauk added that the intention now was to restore its core values back into the wards by aligning its plan with the eight-point plan which says “we must practise our own way of living in our rural community and ENB is no exception in leading into that direction, focusing on the ward model concept government”.
Bauk also said that planning of the wards must be done in “our way instead of adopting other plans while our wards must be measured to the keys core values that our fore fathers have been practising in the past”.
“Our government now is adamant on focusing on a ward model concept in ENB to restore the core values that were lost.”
He said under this concept, it will also be introducing and prioritising administration and good governance in the structuring of the ward development committee (WDC) that includes the setting up an office space for ward members and ward recorders to work in.
Meanwhile, Bauk said a submission is now before the Government for the decentralisation of ward members’ allowances to control in the province along with the WDC sitting allowance and this has set the pace for the ENB government to focus more at ward governance.