SOGAVARE BELIEVES PROVINCIAL GOV’T SYSTEM CAN WORK

Hon. Manasseh Sogavare in Parliament. Photo credit: SIBC.

Member of Parliament for East Choiseul, Manasseh Sogavare has said he believes the Provincial Government system can work for the country if it is allowed to function the way it was originally intended.

Contributing to debates on the Provincial Government Amendment Bill 2014 in Parliament yesterday Mr. Sogavare said the failure of the Provincial Government system is the Central Government’s making.

“The failure of the Provincial Government system is the making of the Central Government for failing to fully appreciate its responsibility under a service delivery system Mr Speaker, of political governance structured on the principle agents relationship. The failure by the National Government is wrongly blamed on the Provincial Government all these years Mr Speaker. Provincial Governments have been accused of failing to deliver as agents of the National Government and because they lack the capacity to deliver we should not be devolving more powers to them.”

The Bills and Legislation Committee Chairman said this lack of capacity issue has become an excuse for the National Government, which is a perfect example of its unfairness and failure to the provincial government.