The Government must develop a National Disaster Policy to respond effectively when natural disaster occurs in the country, says Oro Governor Gary Juffa.
“The Government (must develop a) National Disaster Policy, Provincial Disaster Mitigation Policy and Provincial Disaster Coordination Mechanism which the country does not have in place,” Juffa asked in Parliament today.
“Can we have some clarification, who is in charge when there is a natural disaster, is it the Department of Provincial & Local Government Affairs or is it the Prime Minister’s Office?”
Juffa also asked the Prime Minister Peter O'Neill when his people will receive the outstanding K2 million from the K5 million committed in 2012 when disaster like situation affected the Tufi- Wanigela areas.
“We have a separate office that comes under the Department of Provincial Affairs’ it manages all the provincial disaster offices in the country and it is governed by a separate law,” O’Neill responded during Question Time.
“And sometimes the office does not respond quickly as it should be, so my office gets involved, that has been the case for many years.
‘Last year and years before, for the first time we as a government had deliberately put money in the budget as a separate item and now there is funding (to the disaster office).”
But the Prime Minister said the funding is still not enough because when natural disaster occurs the cost exceeds the budgetary allocation.