The Services Improvement Program (Provincial SIP, District SIP and LLGSIP) needs more accountability and transparency.
“The SIP is an overarching policy intervention designed to provide tangible development in the provinces, districts & LLGs,” says Gumine MP and Minister for Education, Nick Kuman.
“The program has delivered education and health infrastructure, roads, bridges, SMEs, law & order, rural electrification and water supply project, among others.
“For the first time since independence, we see that real development.”
These were highlighted by Kuman while presenting his DSIP and DSG acquittal reports from 2013 – 2015 to the Department of Implementation and Rural Development (DIRD) in Port Moresby last Thursday (March 23).
However, Kuman called for greater accountability and transparent management of the huge sums of SIP grants frontloaded down to the districts.
“There must be prudent control and management of SIP funds so that basic government services can be delivered to the people, minimum service delivery should be felt by the people,” Kuman stressed.
He said SIP guidelines and policies need to fine tune and give more power to District Development Authorities (JDP/BPC) to administer all projects and programs.
Kuman also called for National Planning Department to focus more on macro level and allow relevant line agencies to manage sector funds such as PSIP, DSIP, LLGSIP, health, education, infrastructure and economic.
“Let the line agencies control sector funds because currently, Planning is controlling everything up there,” Minister Kuman stressed.
Some of the notable impact projects implemented by Gumine district DSIP programs and projects include:
- 10km road sealing project from Gumine Station to Wara Sua to the tune of K4 million
- Purchased district machineries and tipper trucks to build and upgrade feeder & trunk road that were not connected before since independence - K2 million
- Established new Dikin High School with K1.5 million for the construction of classrooms, teachers’ house, mess and other facilities
- Introduced rural housing program by supplying roofing irons, costing Gumine DDA K2 million
- Major rehabilitation and construction of primary and elementary schools
- Water supply projects which connect to communities and villages – K600,000
- The Gumine DDA has partnered with PNG Microfinance to introduce Small – Medium Enterprises (SME) to boost local farmers for their economic activities, which the DDA had spent K5 million
- Purchased 8 x vehicles (land cruisers) for sub-health centres and health centres in the district
- Distributed 4 vehicles for Gumine police
- Purchased 5 vehicles for Gumine district administration
The district has three LLGs and 41 wards. Some of the community based projects such as piggery, poultry, inland fish farm, etc., were implemented by ward councillors under Ward Intervention Program.
The Gumine DDA has an unspent K10 million which would be expanded this year.
Acting Secretary of DIRD, Paul Sai’i, commended Gumine district for submitting their outstanding DSIP acquittal reports, adding other districts should follow suit.