Yama slams claims over funds

MADANG Governor Peter Yama rebuts claims that K6 million meant for Manam resettlement was used for other purposes.
Yama told a press conference yesterday that the funds were used to settle debts accumulated during the continuous volcanic eruptions that began on Aug 25 last year.
He said the Ramu Development Foundation, as the project business arm of the provincial government, used to manage Manam funds for more than nine years before he took office as the governor.
Yama said all money for Manam that were given to the province every year from that time onwards were managed by the Ramu Development Foundation before he took office in Aug 2017 and continued to follow the trend.
He said when he went in, he pushed for the Manam Restoration Authority Board to be established and now the islanders have an authority to manage their own affairs.
Yama said the K6 million paid to Ramu Development Foundation was used to settle debts to service providers that provided food rations and fuel, allowances for police and soldiers and other expenses during the three times the Manam volcano erupted – Aug 25, 2018, Oct 1, Dec 8 and Jan 6, 2019.
Yama said the provincial government was put in a situation where it did all it could to assist the disaster-struck people of Manam.
He said K20mil committed by the government was yet to be released.