By James Guken
New Ireland Provincial Government officials are deeply disappointed and frustrated by the 2024 National Government budget allocation for their province.
During a meeting chaired by Governor Sir Julius Chan, it was revealed that New Ireland’s budget for the upcoming year is significantly reduced compared to the previous year.
The province received K127, 042,578, a reduction of K36, 328,086 from this year’s budget of K162, 370,664.
Chief Executive Officer for Finance Richard Andia highlighted that the Public Investment Programme funding faced the largest cut, decreasing from K78, 500,000 to K37, 000,000 in the 2024 development budget.
Expressing their discontent, the Provincial Executive Council (PEC) emphasized that this inadequate allocation is especially unjust considering New Ireland’s significant contributions to the national GDP through gold mines.
Some officials even hinted at pursuing greater autonomy or supporting Bougainville’s quest for independence. The final budget estimates will be presented for Provincial Assembly approval on December 20th, 2023.
