“We are already into the middle of the year and in most provinces, roll out of projects and implementation has already begun,” said Governor for Madang, Ramsey Pariwa.
“In Madang Province, people are in the dark about development issues and project roll outs under the Provincial Government.”
Governor Pariwa, has now come out to clarify the delay in project implementations and measures he is taking to rectify the issues.
“It seems that the holdup is under the administrative functions, with a tussle, and of polygamous conflict of interest agendas, trying to overrule the rule of law,” he said.
A first of his statements to his people since taking office, the governor is adamant in resolving these challenges and start service delivery to all districts.
In a public statement, the Governor said that the Madang Provincial Government has a set development agenda and has already begun a few major programs such as the Sir Peter Barter Tertiary Education Scholarship program that’s in its trial year. He stressed that administrative issues are hindering progress of service delivery.
“The major problem the administration is facing at the moment is the delay in the opening of Provincial Government’s accounts,” he said. “That has resulted in the delaying the implementation of 2023 Provincial Budget.”
“The Provincial Government has approved budget of K427.9 million at the PEC level and passed the budget through the Assembly early this year.
“This is what your Provincial Government has done so far. The delay in running the accounts and implementing the budget is the Provincial Administration. The financial directives issued by the Provincial Administrator is not in line with Public Finance (Management) Act structure, and therefore the Provincial Finance Manager is working very hard to correct that blunder and soon our budget will be opened for implementation,” he stated.
The Governor is urging the Provincial Administrator to work closely with the Provincial Finance Manager and immediately kick start the implementation of the 2023 Provincial Budget.
“We are into the sixth month of the year,” he said.
“However, I must also caution you both that any funds appropriated for an item that is no captured in the budget, I will use the full force of law to correct that. The people of Madang are waiting and we are waiting. I want to see the blunders corrected and the accounts opened as soon as possible,” Pariwa said.