The National | March 26, 2025

Department of Implementation and Rural Development (DIRD) was unable to inspect projects implemented in districts and provinces through service improvement funds in the last 10 years, its acting secretary has revealed. 

The official, Aihi Vaki, said that yesterday, noting that this was because the department didn't receive its monitoring funds for the staff to travel to all the districts and provinces to inspect projects implemented through districts services improvement program  (DSIP) and provincial service improvement program (PSIP) funds. 

"I would like to have a monitoring funds that is very important. Some 10 years ago, we were physical walking around in the districts checking the projects based on the advice by the district and provincial administrators to check the DSIP and PSIP projects," Vaki said. 

Vaki said DIRD made budget for monitoring but haven't been receiving it for the last few years and he urged the government to making funds available  so that his staff can visit provinces and districts. 

"It's our role and it's all about rural development, let's focus on rural development, at the basics, the economy of our country starts from the bottom and if we develop all the districts, then our will see the country progressing," he stressed.