WHP budget targets impact projects

 By PIUS MON

THE 2011 Western Highlands budget has been described as the biggest with Governor Tom Olga saying  that the K125,254,800 passed last week will give priority to infrastructure development impact projects and pillar programmes as enshrined under the provincial integrated development plan.

Infrastructure development included the government office complex, Mt Hagen sewerage treatment upgrade and land development while impact projects included the upkeep of the Kuk Heritage site and Baiyer Bird Sanctuary.

Olga said the pillar programmes included education, health, transport infrastructure, law and order and agriculture. 

The corporate sector received the highest with an allocation of K68.8 million while the social sector took out the next biggest which was K45.9 million and the economic sector was appropriated K10.5 million.

The social sector includes the city re-development, education, transport infrastructure, health and law and order while the economic sector covers agriculture and commerce, revenue and the corporate sector includes assembly support services and administration support services in the province.

Of the total, the National Government’s grant allocation was K108,954,800 while the remaining K16,300,000 was from internal revenue.

The provincial revenue includes K11,991,100 generated from goods and services tax, liquor licencing made K200,000, MVIL/PMV registration and road blocks generated K2,630,000, 2010 unspent provincial funds accumulated to K351,200 while bookmakers tax generated K433,800 and the 2010 revised budget 

surplus of K665,000 and other miscellaneous income was K28,700.

A total of K53,161,500 was distributed under the province’s pillar programmes to cover: city redevelopment  K22,019,200, education K11,502,300, agriculture K8,553,700, law and order K2,374,600 and rural health services K3,914,700.