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Gulf announces a recovery budget
By
ABBIE COLLACO
GOVERNOR Havila Kavo was pleased to announce the 2009 Budget allocation of K107, 479, 739 million on Wednesday last week. Speaking at a press conference Governor Kavo said the 2009 budget is a recovery budget because of the non-implementation of the 2008 budget. He said the budget will focus on servicing the outstanding debts from the non-performance of the budget in 2008 fiscal year and have a strict expenditure control with a careful financial management. He said more emphasis will be given to the National Government's Medium Term Development Strategy (MTDS) on health, education, agriculture and rehabilitation and maintenance of transport infrastructure for mobility of people and goods. Mr Kavo said transport infrastructure development and improving basic services in the areas of health, education and agriculture development are foremost prioritised as that involves the human resource of the province. This also includes the rehabilitation and maintenance of roads and airstrips to promote service delivery. He said areas of improving the districts and the local level government centre, housing and office construction will also be a priority. Internal revenue was reduced from K77,063,600 which included the K60 million from the Kutubu MoA funds to K70,513,539 because of lack of receipts which the previous administration had failed to present. He said as a result of this he has taken measures to suspend various officers in the Gulf Provincial Government Administration to allow investigations to be completed. The Governor reiterated that some of this money would be spent on impact projects such as a cement factory, setting up of the Gulf Gas and Oil Company in a vision that Gulf would also participate in the Oil and Gas development. Also in the governor's plans are a Gulf Construction Company to participate in the infrastructure development projects and the setting up of an Industrial and Petroleum Park in the province to participate in the downstream processing for its oil and gas recourses as well as banking and financial service that will be accessible by the people of the Gulf province. The governor has further indicated that his government would purchase passenger and cargo boats to serve the Kikori, Baimuru and Ihu and Kerema routes for the purchase of a passenger and cargo vessels that will service the Kikori Baimuru Ihu and Kerema routes from Port Moresby. |
NEWS
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