BY IRWIN ANGIKI
The Rennell and Bellona provincial government has passed a budget of $10,942,807.
The budget was passed Friday last week in the provincial chambers in Tigoa, Rennell island.
The Ministry of Provincial Government (MPGIS) blessed the budget on Monday, March 30.
This is an increase of a million dollars from last year’s budget, Deputy Premier Collin Tesuatai told Island Sun in an interview yesterday.
The main focus of the budget is the completion of the many projects ongoing in the province, maintain services to the people of Renbel province and keep the provincial assembly operating.
The sources of the budget – own source of revenue ($1,720, 650), service grant national government through MPGIS ($3,172,437), PCDF ($2,204,329), World Bank’s IEDCR-PCDF ($1,083,723), LoCAL-PCDF ($1,476,082), UNDP/EU (sanitation projects) ($906,819), Other grants ($378,767) – total of $10,942,807.
Application of funds include – payroll ($807,491), other charges ($3,554,496), capital and development expenditures ($6,589,820).
“In order for government to stand, the backbone is the budget. Budget, by the end of physical year, from there will see if surplus or deficient, then we will decide to increase or maintain the next budget,” Mr Tesuatai said.
Projects on Rennell and Bellona province include – sanitation for the province’s schools, other education projects, cyclone shelters on Bellona island, indoor court on Bellona, small fisheries buying centre, LoCAL – projects for the provincial headquarter, improve water supply in headquarter (Tigoa), Tigoa health centre solar improvement and Starlink, fisheries support centre, market house in Tigoa.
Tesuatai clarified that the budget does not cover the Ahanga wharf project on Bellona because it is a national government project.
However, the province could help in some ways, he said.
“Officials of the Ahanga wharf project had requested help from the provincial government, but the budget was already passed. So we advised them to put forth a black and white request, then the province will consider utilising any unused head which have been passed through the budget,” the Deputy Premier said.
“Conditions by IEDCR projects is that all funds should be committed by June this year. After June will be new allocations for new projects IEDCR will determine.
“Projects are mainly in the sectors – education, health and medical, fisheries, agriculture and other commercial services provided in the province.
“The province acknowledges its development partners and donors – World Bank, UNDP, IEDCR, LoCAL, etc for funding livelihood projects for our people,” Deputy Premier Tesuatai said.
These projects are making impacts to the livelihoods of people in the communities. For example, a $204,317 for eliminating giant African snail, which is a LoCAL project.
“Giant African snail rife on Rennell and impacting on food security, and we would like to prevent it from spreading to Bellona, as well as eliminating it altogether from Rennell.
“We hope and believe the partnership between our donors and province will continue,” Tesuatai said.
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