Wednesday, May 11, 2011

O’Neill:All districts will get DSIP funds

ALL electorates in the country will receive their district services improvement programme (DSIP) funds after this parliamentary session, Treasurer and Minister for Finance Peter O'Neill said yesterday, The National reports.

O'Neill gave the assurance after the member for Finschhafen, Theo Zurenuoc, asked during question time why his electorate did not receive last year's DSIP of K2 million.

He wanted to know when the government would pay his electorate its outstanding DSIP funds.

Zurenuoc accused the government of nepotism in the distribution of the funds.

O'Neill said the National Alliance-led government had not discriminated against any member of parliament or any district.

He said all the 89 districts had received their part of the funds over the past four years and the remaining funds would be paid soon.

He said K20 million had been paid over the past four years with the balance of K4 million each owed to the districts.

O'Neill said the government was committed and, wherever a district received a shortfall, it was its responsibility to top up the funds because the government wanted vital services to reach all the people, isolated or not.

"There is no division and separation between where you sit on the floor of parliament and where I sit," he said.

He said it was the government's intention to provide services to all people throughout the nation regardless of their location or their member's political affiliation.

O'Neill said the onus was on respective open members and members of their district budget planning and priorities committee to implement and use the funds to improve the lives of the people.

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