Central to miss out on remaining PCDF funding this year
By EDDIE OSIFELO
CENTRAL Islands province will not receive any funding from the remaining $20 million Provincial Capacity Development Fund (PCDF) this year.
Malaita and Makira Ulawa provinces are entitled to receive only 20 percent of the PCDF.
The Joint Oversight Committee of the Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening made this decision following their meeting with the concerned provinces in Tulagi, Central Islands, yesterday.
All three provinces have appealed to the JOC to consider their cases after their budgets were not considered by the Public Accounts Committee.
According to a provincial government insider, JOC, which also included Temotu, Rennell and Bellona and Guadalcanal, has rejected the appeals of the three provincial governments.
The insider said Central Islands has passed the assessment but because of political wrangling, their PAC and Assembly have failed to meet to pass the budget in March and June.
Island Sun could not reach the new Premier of Central Islands, Polycarp Galaigu.
However, Malaita Premier Suidani’s advisor, Celsius Talifilu posted on Malaita Development Forum on Facebook that in the case of Malaita, it has not met two minimum conditions.
Talifilu said the two minimum conditions are all related to the Public Accounts Committee that have not met last year to deliberate on the 2021 revised budget.
“As one would remember after the defeated motion of no confidence last year. Members of the Public Accounts Committee – PAC which were all non-executive members resigned from the committee in protest of the failed motion of no confidence.
“Virtually there was no PAC at that time to deliberate on the revised 2021 budget because all of them have resigned,” he said.
Talifilu said since PAC virtually did not exist at the time, there was no report produced on the 2021 revised budget.
“Thus, the assembly did not meet regarding the budget variations.
“That is the second minimum condition that MPG failed on,” he added.
A total of $40 million was allocated under the PCDF.
However, $20 million was already allocated to all nine provincial governments.
