Gumine presents acquittals DIRD

Caption:   Secretary Sai receiving documents from Gumine MP Nick Kuman

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, May 25, 2014 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

DESPITE almost halfway through the year, the District of Gumine, handed over its acquittals for the year 2013 and the district’s Five Year Plan 2013 to 2017, and their budget plans for 2014, last week to the Department of Implementation and Rural Development.

Gumine MP and Minister for Education Nick Kuman Apologised to the Ministry’s Secretary Paul Sai for their lateness, saying that it was the long journey in the district’s leadership tussle in court that had deprived the people of many of the projects he aimed to implement.

He, however, thanked the O’Neill Dion Government for their support of the districts through the rolling out of the District Services Improvement Program with a K10 million annual allocation.

“With the allocation by the National Government into the districts, there has been a lot of improvement to the rural population,” the Gumine MP said.

“Since independence districts in the country have never seen such huge amounts of money being pumped into development.”

He pointed out that for the 2013 acquittal- the district only expanded K1.3 million in the district treasury because of the legal battle that was ongoing during the better part of the year.

Despite this misfortune, the remainder of the DSIP for 2013 will be turned over and expanded this year with more than 9 million to be put into impact projects in the district.

“The way forward for my district now, is for us not to go away from the plans we have,” Kuman said.

Thanking the Member for his presentation, DIRD Secretary Paul Sai, reminded the member and his district administration that the five plan that was presented would be monitored by his department to ensure it is followed.

He encouraged the district administrations to work closely with his department to ensure proper accountability of funds and the handling of them for development purposes.

“Now that the government is giving large sums of money into the districts, we have to ensure that procedures are followed to account for where and what those fund are being used for,” Secretary Sai said.

“In order for that to be effectively achieved skill upgrading must be achieved, and I appeal to my DAs (District Administrators) that is there is training required please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.”

He said they were there to work for the districts and that the goals of the national government for rural development would be achieved only if they worked effectively together.