The 2020 Morobe Provincial Budget has revealed that the province depends heavily on goods and services tax along, to generate its internal revenue.
Morobe had an internal revenue of almost K200 million this year, with almost 73% of it coming from GST alone.
Apart from GST, the other revenue sources are bookmakers tax, fees and fines, property rentals, economic levies and grants, plus other revenue sources.
From an internal revenue of K K182,949,000.00, K133,419,000.00 was generated from GST, other revenue sources contributed K28, 036, 000.00, Fees and Fines brought in K15, 850,000.00, Economic levies and grants with K3,500,000.00, Bookmakers Tax with K1,524,000.00, and property rentals contributing the least with K620,000.00.
With a lot coming from GST along – concludes that other revenue sources are either not fully utilized or not utilized at all to bring income into the province.
Morobe is connected by land, sea and air, providing a variety of ways to generate income.
National Planning Minister and Member for Bulolo Sam Basil said what is needed is a good working partnership between districts and the provincial administration.
“We need to focus on reviving Morobe Coastal Shipping. Let’s make a monthly schedule for trips to the north coast and south coast so our coastal people can bring their coffee into Lae,”Basil said.
Basil, who is also the Bulolo MP said he is ready to work together with the provincial administration and the Lae City council to make services in Lae accessible for people in Bulolo District.
“We want our own bus stop, we want a section at the main market for mothers coming from Bulolo to sell their ,garden produce. I am willing to fund these projects with the DSIP funds, these are what we can achieve through the partnership arrangements,” Basil said.
Morobe province internal revenue has increased from last year, which stood at just over K140 million.
The internal revenue for this year will cover ten sectors. Over K5, 380,000.00 million will go to District Function Grants, K26,000,000.00 million to District Infrastructure Grants, K33 650,000.00 million to Government Administration, K27,900,000.00 million to Intervention Programs, Economic Impact Projects will get about K1 200,000.00 million, Executive Services Management to get almost K11 989,000.00 million, Corporate Sector to get the biggest share with over K40 286, 800.00 million, Social Sector to get over K14 315,000.00 million, Economic Sector with over K9,701,600.00 million and the Infrastructure Sector will get over K12 525,800.00 million. This totaling up to an internal revenue of K182,949,000.00
The National Government, through the 2020 national budget have taken on board some of the province’s internal expenditure like the Lae City Roads, the Vocopoint Wharf project and Lae City Market redevelopment.
Other major development initiatives in province like Angau Hospital Redevelopment, Lae-Nadzap Road (4 lane), Wau-Bulolo Highway Rehabilitation FISIKA road, Menyamya-Gulf Highway, Nadzap Terminal Redevelopment Project, Ramu Transmission Re-enforcement Project, Wagang Fish Port, Container Examination Facility and Wafi/Golpu Pre-Mining Coordination have also been taken on board in the 2020 national budget.
By Sharlyne Eri – EM TV News, Lae
