By Sylvester Gawi – EM TV, Lae
Lae City Lord Mayor, Koim Trilu Leahy says the provision of municipal services, listed in the draft bill for the proposed Lae City Authority, is a duplication of the functions of the existing Lae City Council.
He told the Morobe Tutumang yesterday that the draft bill itself didn’t reflect what that was said by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill during their meeting.
A frustrated Mr Leahy told the Morobe Tutumang yesterday that the roles and functions of the proposed Lae City Authority listed in the draft bill were duplication of functions of the Lae Urban local level government.
In Tutumang’s motion, they say it is unconstitutional for an Act of Parliament to remove functions of a legitimate body, established under the Organic Law on Provincial and local level governments.
Mr Leahy says the Lae City Council generates revenue from the provision of municipal services. The duplication of functions like rubbish collection by the city authority will affect the Lae City Council.
He says the millions of kina for the establishment of the proposed city authority could have been used to beef up provision of municipal service to the people of Lae.
In the last three decades, service delivery has declined, due to funding constraints and the ongoing tussle among the administration of the urban council.
In one of his reports presented to the Tutumang yesterday, Bulolo MP, Sam Basil wants a committee to be set up to investigate the Lae City Council.
This is to identify the problems that are hindering the provision of effective municipal services to the people of Lae City.
He also supports the Lord Mayor’s call for the national government to give more financial powers to the existing Lae City Council.
The Lae City Mayor has also threatened to pursue the matter in court if no amendments are made to the draft bill.
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