LLG leaders hail PM’s decision

By JEFFREY ELAPA

Local level government (LLG) presidents in Southern Highlands Province have commended the decision by the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to reinstate the cut in the local level government service improvement (LGGSIP) funding.

The councillors said during a meeting in Mendi recently that they were impressed that there will be service delivery if the government reinstates the K400,000 cut in the budget.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Upper Mendi local level government president Solomon Timbol said the funding of K500,000 to the LLGs was a relief for the little people in the rural areas where government services have been lacking for a long time.

He said with the funding, many infrastructures like roads, elementary schools, community development projects and other social services were rejuvenated after years of neglect.

Mr Timbol, who is a member of the provincial government and chairman assisting the office of the governor William Powi said the decision by the Prime Minister is in fact a win-win decision for the interest of the people.

“The rural areas really missed out on government services for a long time but with the government’s intervention programs like the DSIP and the LLGSIP, they were able to see light at the end of the tunnel after being in the darkness for many years.

The benefits from the resources were not fairly distributed to impact the lives of the people.

“With respect to the constitution, the benefits were fairly shared from the top down to the village level,” Timbol said.

He said not every president in the country is a threat to the members of Parliament.

He said that even if there are threats, the people must come first before their interest as the seat they occupy is not their birth right but they have to win the hearts of the people to gain power.

“Winning an election is not an issue, serving the people should be priority and the Prime Minister should not allow members of the coalition to dictate as their performance would determine their destiny in their political career,” he said.

He said members of the provincial assembly will formally thank O’Neill when he comes for any of the provincial assembly meetings in Mendi for reversing the decision.