18/12/2024
On the Occasion of the Presentation of the New Ireland Provincial Government Appropriation Bill 2025 speech delivered by Hon. Sammy Missen, MPADeputy Governor & Chairman of Natural Resources.
Theme: “One Mind, One Voice, One Destiny”
Mr. Chairman, Right Honourable Chief Sir Julius Chan, Honorable Members of the New Ireland Provincial Assembly, Honored Guests, People of New Ireland.
Today on behalf of the Governor and New Ireland Provincial Government I will present the 2025 New Ireland Provincial Government Budget.
The 2025 New Ireland Government Budget is K203,189,500.
This compares to K172,208,525 in the 2024 Budget. Our Revenue Estimates in the 2025 Budget reflects a total increase of eighteen percent or K30,980,975 over the 2024 Budget.
Grants from 287 Revenue had increased by Seventeen percent which is K18,446,578 to K125,659,500 in 2025 from K107,212,922 compared to this year’s budget. This is due to increase in Functional Grants allocation by the National Governments in its 2025 Budget and a forecasted increase in our outstanding SSG & IDG with the National Government.
Our Internal Revenue has increased by Nineteen percent or by K12,534,397 to K77,530,000 from K64,995,603 in the 2024 Budget. This increase in our Internal Revenue is due to savings in the New Ireland General Reserve Trust Account from the NIPG’s share of 20% royalties received during the Lihir Mining royalty split where the two DDAs are getting Eighty percent which is the development component of the Lihir Mining Royalties. This reflects prudent management of funds derived from our natural resources and to be used for our development aspirations.
Chairman, with the rising inflation and never-ending increase in the prices of goods and services, with the trickle rising of law and orders issues, New Ireland Government had posture and set its direction for socioeconomic growth in this budget by setting focus on Law & Order, Economic Empowerment, Free Primary Health Care, infrastructure building and decentralization and capacity building of our Ten LLGs which is the third tier of the government.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Chairman, we have continued to prioritize funding in our infrastructure services. In this budget we have allocated a total funding of K86 million compared to this year’s funding of K73 million, an increase of K13 million that is 57 % of the total development budget.
In this budget, we have given priority to West Coast Highway. Starting from Lavolai in Tikana LLG, Kavieng District and ends at Lamassa in Konoagil LLG, Namatanai District. We are allocating total of K20 million, that is K10 million to continue sealing of Fangalawa Junction to Para Junction at Lamusmus, K2 million to continue sealing from Panamecho, K4 million from Tubuana to Kabanut and K4 million Kabanut to Palabong.
Chairman, West Coast Highway is not our only infrastructure priority but we are also allocating K8 million to continue sealing of all Kavieng Town Roads, K3 million for Unity Highway at New Hanover, another K3 million for Anir Island Ring Road, K1 million for Karu to Konogogo Crossing and K1.5 million for Lambuso to Ugana Crossing.
We also allocating K1 million to continue the road upgrading from Poropop to Muliama, K3 million for road upgrading from Muliama to Metlik, K2 million for Mussau Island Ring Road and K1 million for Emirau Island Road upgrade.
And we have allocated K2 million in Bridges and another K2 million for Wharves & Jetties.
ECONOMIC SECTOR
Chairman, Economic Sector is the future of this province. Our home we call Bilas Peles will entirely depend on our cocoa, our copra, all of our other cash crops that we have and our marine resources. So, in this budget, Economic Sector has been given a total allocation of K14.5 million which 10% of the total development budget. An increase of K4.1 million from this year’s budget.
We are allocating K5 million to rehabilitate the 102 run down plantations in partnership with the 10 LLGs and landowners with other stakeholders. And K4.5 million in down streaming and processing of all our cash crops and marines resources.
We have also allocated K1 million as Credit Guarantee Scheme for SME in partnership with the Niu Ailan Savings & Loans Society. And K500,000 as Sweat Equity funding for Women in the province under Sweat Equity Program.
Chairman and Members of this Assembly, energy or power supply is the catalyst of all economic development activities. And over the last five years starting from COVID 19 era, we have experienced unreliable power supply, especially in Kavieng Town.
To address that power supply issue, the New Ireland Government had gone into an Agreement with Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited to produce solar power and we have allocated K2 million for this partnership. Another K3 million for Rural Electrification Program and K2 million for the Kavieng Town Foreshore development.
Chairman, we are also allocating K5 million to upgrade and build Kavieng and Namatanai markets and another K500,000 to build transit accommodation for our mothers who come from far distances to sell their local produces at Kavieng and Namatanai Markets. And K2.5 million is allocated to development of Tourism, Art & Culture in the province
SOCIAL SECTOR
Social Sector includes Education, Health, Community Development and Government Subsidy Initiative Policies.
Chairman and Honorable Members of this Assembly, this government have been giving first priority to Education, Health, Community Development and Government Subsidy Initiative Policies over the period of years. And in this budget, we have allocated K33 million compared to K26 million in 2024 budget.
In Education, we have allocated K10.3 million in this budget to continue high priority programs of this Government. We have allocated K2 million for Secondary School infrastructure to cater for the Junior High program in the province and K1 million for the Kulube Secondary School on the west coast of Sentral Niu Ailan LLG.
We will continue to put K2 million into Free and Subsidized Education program, another K2 million for School Rations for all Boarding High and Secondary Schools and Vocational Schools in this budget.
We will continue with the funding of Governor’s School of Excellence program with K500,000. This program has lifted the standard and rating of our education system compared with other provinces. Through the Governor’s School of Excellence, we have sent over 60 students to universities and other tertiary institutions since the inception of the program.
HEALTH
Health is another priority of this government and we have allocated total funding of K12 million. This includes the funding of K5 million on Free Primary Health Care, continue funding of Tinkoris Hospital with another K3 million and K3 million for other Health Infrastructure services in the province.
Chairman and Assembly members, I am pleased to state that we have also allocated K1 million for Mobile Clinic services and another K1 million for Floating Clinic services to serve our remote and isolated islands.
We will continue to support and care for our sick and disabled through funding of wheelchairs, crutches and delivery beds with funding of K300,000 in this budget. Water & Sanitation will continue to receive funding of K200,000 to improving water supply and clean toilets for remote areas of the province.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Community Development issues are cross cutting issues that require government intervention programs to address them. Therefore, we have allocated K9 million to Community Development, that is K2 million for Youth, Sport & Women, K2 million for PNG Games and K5 million to establish the Chan Foundation to address cross cutting issues at all community and ward level.
Chairman and Members of this Assembly, the Government Subsidy Policy Initiative are this government’s policy initiative programs so we have allocated total funding of K16 million Subsidy program, K3 million for our Elders and our Disabled through Old Aged and Disabled program.
We are allocating K500,000 to continue with the Solar power program under Lightning New Ireland policy to install street solar lights and distribute portable solar knits for the lightning throughout the province.
Continue funding of State/Church Partnership with K2 million, as you know churches are equal partners in service delivery.
We will continue to fund our Roof Overhead program so that our people can have roof over their heads and have clean drinking water and improved living standards. We are allocating another K1 million to continue the program in 2025.
LAW & ORDER
Law & Order is another budget priority and we are committed to take action to address it seriously. In this budget we are allocating K4.3 million to Law & Order. We are allocating K3 under Community Peace & Restorative Justice, K1 million for Provincial Law Enforcement, K1 million for Police/CIS, K200,000 under National Policing & Crime and K100,000 to implement the resettlement and enforcement of Vagrancy Act.
It must be a collective effort of all stakeholders including Police, CIS, Magisterial Services, National Courts, Public Prosecutors and State Solicitors Offices, churches and all other NGOs to come together and work to address Law & Order issues in our beautiful Bilas Ples.
LOCAL LEVEL GOVERNMENT (LLG)
Local Level Governments or LLGs are the third tier of governments in the government structure of this country but have been overlooked in funding allocation by the National Government.
Chairman and Members of this Assembly, LLG empowerment and decentralization is the priority of this government and this budget. As such we are allocating K8 million for LLG Administration Office & Staff houses and K2 million in LLG Communication & Capacity building. In this year’s, a total of K10 million funding is allocated to the Local Level Governments.
We will continue to fund our Community Support Projects and Ward Level Projects which will be given directly to the Village and Ward Levels. We have allocated K4 million on Ward Level Grants. This funding will go straight to the LLG and the wards to fund projects of their own choice. We are also funding K750,000 in Ward Beautification program where each of the 142 wards will receive K5,000 for the best beautified village in the ward.
It is a Budget that spends and 25% on recurrent expenditures and more than 75% of the total Budget on Development programs and aspirations, 75% on making the lives of the People of New Ireland better.
One Mind, One Voice, One Destiny is the theme for this budget. Our destination is set but we must manage our scare resources to cover the challenges we are faced with today so that our tomorrow will be better for our future generations.
We must stand united as leaders in this Assembly to work together to implement this budget for the good of our children and their children to come and share the benefits of our shared values and principles for the development aspirations of our people.
Honourable Members, I now seek your support on the deliberations of this Statement and accept the 2025 New Ireland Provincial Government Budget Appropriation Bill 2025 as it is presented.
Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year 2025 to us all and Thank You.
