The increased funding of K20 million to each of the 96 districts nationwide is not “free money for MPs” and will be strictly monitored by the National Monitoring Authority (NMA).
Prime Minister James Marape clarified the fund allocation after media speculation that MPs will be allocated K100m per year.
He said the Independent Commission against Corruption (ICAC) will prosecute any leader who misuses these funds.
To clear the misconceptions about the K20 million District Services Improvement Programme funding to each district, Prime Minister James Marape clarified that the funding is not free money for MPs but people’s money for development purposes.
He said the allocation is based on outcomes the Government want for districts and provinces to achieve development goals in education, health, infrastructure, law-and-order and the economy.
The Prime Minister clarified that out of the K20 million, K10 million is DSIP, K5 million is for infrastructure development, and the balance of K5 million is based on a kina-for-kina allocation that is consistent with key Government programmes.
Marape said the National Monitoring Authority would strictly ensure that the money was used for its rightful purposes and not diverted elsewhere, while ICAC would prosecute leaders who misuse funds.
To balance and ensure that the money is put to good use, the National Government is also setting up the NMA to monitor the work of each DDA, Provincial Government and National Department.
Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey also made a recent clarification of the funding saying “all the districts will be getting K100m for a period of five years and not in a year as speculated.”