BY ALFRED PAGEPITU
GIZO
THE newly elected Premier of the Western province, David Gina, has proposed a number of reforms especially in the revenue sector.
Mr Gina outlined a number of drastic measures to be undertaken which he explained will be part of an overall reform and restructure of existing revenue sources in the province.
“This includes the logging sector, general revenue collection through substation, business flow, as well as the Province’s business arm.”
He said his policy outline proposed to be announced at the first full Executive next week is to give due prominence on these key revenue source as they form the fabric of the Province’s economy.
He said the Western province should be a self enriched province but often the processes and regulations are undermined by previous governments purely on self interest.
Gina explained that the province should be a leader in terms of revenue.
Among the priorities the new Government is focusing on the Western Province Investment Corporation first.
It plans to investigate how the province’s financial arm has been managed.
On the logging industry, Gina proposes to grant fewer licences unlike before two to three licence holder all vying for one single logging concession.
The Premier said his executive like to introduce new control as a way to manage the Province’s level on revenue collection.
He said the businesses sector such retail and whole sale activity should involve a lot more by locals.
“We cannot afford to see the business sector is control by foreign merchant. He it is important local businesses will be assisted.”
Gina said the new Executive intends to impose new measure such as introducing new ordinance as way to run the province as a service deliverer but at the same time it should be able to live to the capacity of getting revenue and deliver services in the rural sector.
He pointed out that a major task which is expected under the proposed new reforms is to increase the delivery capacity of substation across the Western Province.
The Executive likes to see that sub stations undertake a fair amount of tasks and responsibility to stop the flow on centralized services.
“We should Administrators and also revenue clerks back in sub stations to help the rural sector livelier.”
He said that the Western Province is quite capable doing timely delivery of service but over the years this seemed to have dysfunctional that the new Executive intends to introduce changes as part of overall reform across key sectors.
