Minister for Youth and Community Development, Wake Goi, is against the establishment of a Youth Advisory Committee by the National Capital District Commission.
Minister Goi said this in response to NCD Governor Powes Parkop’s recent announcement that work is in progress to establish a Youth Advisory Committee to tap into the potential of the youth population in the city.
Parkop made this statement during the advanced commemoration of World Youth Day on August 11, where he said: “Youths are not leaders of tomorrow, but are leaders of today! We are a young city. We are a city of youths. 70 percent of our people are youths. We have to harness this potential. That is why most of our programs and initiatives are directed at our young people.”
In a statement, Goi said: “Such arrangement is obviously parallel and competes with the youth council establishments being undertaken by my Ministry, hence must be discouraged.”
The Minister instead, suggested that Governor Parkop should direct donor partners behind such programs to liaise with his Ministry and grounds programs to complement government efforts – not compete.
Minister Goi further echoed his concern over the real value of another project under similar arrangements – the World Bank Funded Urban Youth Employment Project.
He said it was worth K100 million over the last 5 years, “which was operated under NCDC without substantive involvement of the Youth Agency”.
“We need to have dialogue and reach a mutual understanding in respect of our mandates. It is safer to work with existing government agencies to ensure sustainability rather than running programs under project units attached to City authorities.
“Such parallel arrangements will not yield the anticipated results and as such, will end project lifespan. We must factor the sustainability aspect of programs by getting them under the mandated agencies so it’s absorbed into their recurrent programs.”
The Minister then extended an invitation to NCD Governor Parkop to partner his Ministry to find solutions on challenges facing the city youths today.
(File picture: Participants of the Walk and Yoga for Life program which was dedicated to the World Youth Day. Pictured in blue cap is Miss Pacific Islands Leoshina Mercy Kariha, who is the PNG UNICEF Youth Advocate)