Caption: Mr Mona
handing over the documents to DIRD Deputy Secretary Badira Vari as the District
Administrator Jimmy Aniawa looks on.
By MATTHEW VARI
MEMBER for Goilala, Daniel Mona presented his acquittals for the 2013 financial year’s spending of his District Services Improvement Program funds to the Department of implementation and Rural Development (DIRD) last week.
The first term politician acknowledged that the acquittals were late in handing in to the department responsible, however, explained the issues surrounded the late returns and promised for a more timely acquittal early next year for 2014.
“While I commend the O'Neill-Dion Government for releasing a total of K10 million through your office and the finance department- on behalf of the Goilala people I say thank you and I hope that we will continue our relationship during this year 2014,” Mr Mona said.
“I must also mention that although monies were released to us in an untimely manner, we also had our own problems which have influenced the outcome of the acquittals.”
“Some of which include – as a first time politician while my eagerness to deliver services was evident, there was no constant and proper advice from the administration mainly to the fact that we had two different district administrators within two years.”
He added that since 2012 when he was first elected- no proper advice was rendered to his office from his district administration back then, which he said he was now trying to ensure proper mechanisms were put in place to ensure time and effective management of district funds.
“The administration is now in the process of putting a District Project Management Team (DPMT), which was not established when I took office, and we have used JDP (Joint District Planning Committee) and PPC (Budget Priorities Committee) decisions as the sole authority to appropriate expenditure, and discussions in the disbursement of funds for the district.”
He added that since 2012 when he was first elected- no proper advice was rendered to his office from his district administration back then, which he said he was now trying to ensure proper mechanisms were put in place to ensure time and effective management of district funds.
“The administration is now in the process of putting a District Project Management Team (DPMT), which was not established when I took office, and we have used JDP (Joint District Planning Committee) and PPC (Budget Priorities Committee) decisions as the sole authority to appropriate expenditure, and discussions in the disbursement of funds for the district.”
Mona pointed out huge cost of accessing the district by air due to its terrain to bring in services and materials to his people.
“The district being so undeveloped and remote you note that certain sectors are funded more than others, which means the percentage breakups are not very much followed,” he said.
“You will see that there is more money used in helicopter hires and planes in terms of bringing materials to the district.”
“The district being so undeveloped and remote you note that certain sectors are funded more than others, which means the percentage breakups are not very much followed,” he said.
“You will see that there is more money used in helicopter hires and planes in terms of bringing materials to the district.”
Present to receive the acquittal documents on behalf of the DIRD Secretary Paul Sai, Acting Deputy Secretary Badira Vari thanked the member for his presentation and informed him that all the documents would be reviewed to see if they were in line with set guidelines.
“Our duty is to appraise them whether they are in line or if there are some information that are missing, and from these documents we will go and see for ourselves in the field whether they are there,” Mr Vari said.
“Our role for Goilala as well as the 89 districts, 22 Provinces, and 314 LLGs (Local Level Governments) in the country- our job is to develop necessary policies and strategies to make sure that they are approved by government.”
He said that under the Integrated Service Improvement Program, K1.5 billion is distributed to all three levels of government of provincial, district and local level annually.
“Our duty is to appraise them whether they are in line or if there are some information that are missing, and from these documents we will go and see for ourselves in the field whether they are there,” Mr Vari said.
“Our role for Goilala as well as the 89 districts, 22 Provinces, and 314 LLGs (Local Level Governments) in the country- our job is to develop necessary policies and strategies to make sure that they are approved by government.”
He said that under the Integrated Service Improvement Program, K1.5 billion is distributed to all three levels of government of provincial, district and local level annually.
“It is a huge amount going to the rural and urban districts and we expect all processes to be adhered to in terms of accessing funds, awarding of contracts, and for reporting of how funds are being spent,” he said.
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