Transitional authorities for new PNG provinces will overburden public system, says Philemon

Posted at 01:01 on 26 October, 2009 UTC

Papua New Guineas deputy opposition leader Bart Philemon says transitional authorities established by parliament last week for the new Hela and Jiwaka provinces will only increase the burden on the countrys ailing public service.

The new authorities are to prepare for the establishment of the two provincial administrations after the 2012 national elections.

This includes securing land and plans for new provincial capitals, securing assets and infrastructure, and developing staffing structures for each administration.

One of the few MPs to have opposed the creation of the two new provinces, Mr Philemon claims there are already enough problems in the public service which need addressing without two new administrations being created.

Well I think theyre geared towards more burden on the system. The system has not been clearly demonstrated that its working and we add more recurrent costs to our public sector system of which I thought we need a complete restructure.

Bart Philemon

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Hela needs strategic plan, says Prof Hynes

RESOURCES-rich Hela, which becomes a province in 2012, needs a strategic and sustainable plan for positive development outcomes, according to University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) Vice-Chancellor Prof Ross Hynes.
Prof Hynes told Hela leaders, students, academics and non-governmental organisation groups at the official launching of Hela Development Seminar at UPNG that given the economic boom in the region, Hela needs a sustainable strategic development plan to sustain itself in the future after the oil and gas run out in 20 to 30 years time.
He said in order to have this plan, the Hela interim provincial government and the stakeholders at large must consider sustainable future in terms of education, health, agriculture and other socio-economic aspects.
He anticipated that the population growth would also have a huge strain on the socio-economic and such a sustainable strategic plan would ease the future population boom in the new province.
Prof Hynes said the LNG project would also have an impact on the environment and serious consideration must be given to the particular land and the waste management.
Its a challenge for a sustainable Hela.
All the oil and gas will be gone one day but the environment will sustain Hela in the future,
he said.