MILNE Bay has surpassed all other provinces in the country in the delivery of
basic services to its people. This is according to the National Economic Fiscal
Commission (NEFC) which monitors the use of national grants and more broadly to
identify financial impediments to service delivery in all districts of PNG. NEFC
also investigates and compiles data highlighting recurring issues that
provincial administrations need to consider and address. Milne Bay yesterday
made an impressive presentation at the 2011 Southern Regional Intergovernmental
Financing and Service Delivery workshop being held at the March Girls Resort on
the outskirts of Port Moresby. Included were updates on expenditures directly
related to the delivery of basic services to all its local-level government
areas and districts which are classified under the minimum priority areas
(MPAs). Included is health, education, infrastructure like jetties, airstrips
and bridges, agriculture and village courts sectors. In agriculture it boasts of
having facilitated training for 1000 farmers, carrying out 60 extension patrols,
40 patrols carried out by other agencies, maintenance of 10 airstrips out of a
total of 25, and massive expenditure on health related costs including
distribution of drugs. Its sea transport and maintenance program totaled
K260,125 and K901,967 went to land transport in the last financial year. For
village Courts it spent over K1 million in services. Milne Bay was the only
province out of the others to provide comprehensive details which was a result
of a quarterly reporting system it has established for all its districts. For
the way forward the province will consider inclusion of MPAs into all its
development plans, strengthening its audit system and maintenance of an
effective monitoring system, Gulf and Western Provinces were unable to make any
comprehensive presentations while the Central Province gave an incomplete one.
Source: Post Courier, 06th May 2011
End of Article
Milne Bay Delivers Best
By JONATHAN TANNOS
