The National | Editorial
In three weeks, the country will celebrate its 50th Independence Anniversary.
However, the hype for such a momentous occasion is not truly felt right throughout the country and not right now.
Try ask the people of remote Biawaria in Morobe’s Wau-Waria who only recently saw the completion of their long-awaited airstrip after waiting 41 years.
The newly-completed airstrip, which aims to provide a vital service needed in this modern day and age, will now serve an estimated population of 1,500 from Biawaria and surrounding villages, including Bakeri, Mukeri, Saka, Tiwa in the Biawaria local level government (LLG) area and even parts of Sohe in Northern.
Travel time will be significantly reduced from days of walking to just 30-40 minutes in the air to Lae.
The Pureno Airstrip project was completed through a partnership between the Rural Airstrip Agency (RAA) of Papua New Guinea and the district development authority (DDA), including critical funding support from Niusky Pacific Limited as part of its community support obligation programme.
According to RAA, construction of Pureno began on July 15, 1984.
This is just one case that is similar to many in the country where people seem to have waited eons to receive basic services.
Service delivery in its entirety has been sorely lacking in PNG for many years.
There has always been a strong correlation between the remoteness and needs of the people which results in a lack of infrastructure, lack of services (particularly health and education), and lack of local government capacity.
Over the years, government spending has continued to increase, but its ability to reach the local governments certainly has.
The 1995 Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Governments (OLPLLG) created a three-tiered system of government in the country.
The provincial and LLG levels are required to carry out service delivery functions and make local laws based on powers devolved to them by the OLPLLG.
Funding for services, however, is required to pass through all three tiers.
From the Government at the national level, funding passes through the provincial and district levels before it hits the local or ward level.
And therein hides a flaw.
Each tier has its own opportunities for mismanagement and have their own share of the takings.
Because of this, among other associated factors, funding trickles in dribs to those who need it the most in LLGs and wards, instead of flowing downward in beneficial streams to the people.
Even the introduction of the DDA Act 2014, which was the third comprehensive reform on decentralization and subnational government in PNG.
Unlike the former reforms, the DDA arrangement is directly funding the districts, which is intended to bypass much of the bureaucratic red tape.
However, since the introduction of the Act, service delivery has not improved and has taken a turn for the worse with the current socio-economic slump in the country.
Since the reform has given each district the autonomy for planning and budgeting of the District Services Improvement Programmed funds, the district administrative structure and planning varies.
There is no national development framework for the districts that could be used for monitoring and conducting evaluation of the progress of the district developments.Thus, each district development arrangements are done differently according to their respective DDAs.
Be that as it may, it has become evident that the implementation of the DDA Act is below par with respect to the successful conditions needed for an effective decentralization policy.
Amendments to the Act must also be applied sooner rather than later to help in the implementation process to ensure the concerned stakeholders understand their roles.
Not only that but a thorough review of the 1995 reforms is needed so as to allow provinces, districts and LLGs to better provide services to the people.
Even as PNG turns 50 in a few weeks’ work must continue for comprehensive reviews and reforms to take the country forward, especially in the area of service delivery.