www.postcourier.com.pg/bougainville/
ABG to receive owed restoration grants
BY Anthony Kaybing
The Autonomous Bougainville Government will receive in access of K100 million as payment for the Restoration Development Grant arrears owed to it by the National Government.
This follows the Joint Supervisory Body Resolutions from last Friday that held the National Government to honour its commitment to pay as per the 2014 Resolution Number 8 that calls for “the National Government to make payments of K30 million beginning in 2015.
The JSB is co-chaired by the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and ABG President Grand Chief Dr John Momis and made up politicians and bureaucrats from both governments.
It further goes on to add that an amount of K96.6 million that was supposed to be paid over three years must now be adjusted to cater for any additional outstanding RDG payments up to
2016.
Despite this seemingly positive step, there has long been animosity between the ABG and the National Government on the correct formula and calculations of the RDG which is a constitutionalised grant guaranteed to the people of Bougainville under the Bougainville Peace Agreement and the PNG
Constitution.
There is also no clear indication as to when the National Government will make good on its promise with the current financial predicament faced throughout the country.
The JSB has agreed that whilst this payment is made both the ABG and the National Government will seek an independent interpretation of the RDG formula and calculations.
If the ABG or the National Government do not accept the independent interpretation they are free to seek an interpretation from the Supreme Court to address the issue once and for all and the results of the Supreme Court will accepted by both parties.
The other important grant Bougainville receives from the National Government is the Special Intervention Fund that was initiated by the then Somare Government in 2011 is a K500 million conditional grant given to Bougainville by the then Somare Government disbursed at K100 million per year which concentrates on high impact projects in the region.
The JSB has endorsed that a technical team from relevant agencies will review its progress and recent development and advise the JSB.
The review will look at what projects have been completed, support that is needed and for the National Government to arrange financing and propose for development partners funding assistance for the outstanding SIF contracts of K400 million and the inclusion of Agriculture programs in the future.
(20min delay)