Moresby North-East electorate

While they welcomed road development into their community by their electoral member, John Kaupa, they are calling on the member to help them in terms of the lack of these vital resources.

The community of the ATS block have raised the concern that they have low to no water pressure.

Community policing member, Jessie Lenny, says they have been faced with the challenge of having to wake up in the early hours of the morning to fetch water.

While at times they have no water pressure at all.

The feeder road upgrading in the electorate includes the areas of Eight-Mile, ATS, Nine-Mile, Bushwara, Seven-Mile and Nine-Mile Morobe block through to the Wildlife feeder roads.

In collaboration with the National Capital District Commission physical planning and the engineering division, some of the roads are currently being upgraded to ensure Government services are accessible to those who are settling in those locations.

In a presentation attended by stakeholders, community representatives and media, the member for the district and Housing and Urbanisation Minister, John Kaupa, held a showcase of the plan.

Themed "Getting the basics up and running on the ground", the 5 year plan according to the district planner, Jimmy Williams, is set to lift the standard of life for the community. Williams also outlined 10 development areas in his overview of the district.

He said his five-year development plan includes capturing the rollout of Small to Medium Enterprises for mothers for the electorate. This will be launched this month.

Kaupa said some of the electorate’s DSIP funds will be parked with the National Development Bank and mothers engaged in the informal sector will receive K5,000 funding for their businesses.

Kaupa told the women to register their businesses with Investment Promotion Authority and open an account with a commercial bank to receive funding assistance.

The accelerated response for TB treatment project identifies nine treatment sites and will involve community networking, volunteerism and leaders’ participation, to increase the TB treatment completion rate.

The project was recently launched.

The electorate has the highest population amongst the 3 electorates in the city, and has the highest incidence of TB prevalence rate in the city.

This is due to the lack of evidence on the alleged allegations against him that transpired on social media about payments received from a candidate.

Returning officer, Thomas Rango, dismissed social media allegations about him receiving payment of any sort from any candidate contesting in the North-East electorate.

Rango was detained by police but was later released again this morning.

Yesterday, polling at the station was suspended when only 197 ballot papers were distributed to the station, which caters to over a thousand eligible voters in the area.

Additional 750 papers were issued after residents confronted the officials at Rita Flynn and proceeded to the Electoral Commission.

Polling for the station was extended to today, Saturday, July 1.

Team 177 commenced polling at around 11 o’clock with a total of 947 papers, as confirmed by Presiding Officer Martin Kamas.

Today, McGregor Barracks in the Moresby North-East electorate, Works compound (MNE) and the University of Papua New Guinea in the Moresby North-West electorate will poll.

Provincial Returning Officer and NCD Election Manager, Alwyn Jimmy, says he has been given approval by the Electoral Commissioner to proceed with the exercise.

“Under the Organic Law on Provincial Governments and Local Level Governments, we are still within the 14 days,” he tells Loop PNG.

“Just because you have been given one day to poll doesn’t mean you have missed out.”