BY SAMIE WAIKORI
The Siapu-led government of Makira Ulawa Province assures its commitment to reinvigorate reform on infrastructure development to promote economic development in the province.
Speaking during the province’s recent 42nd Second Appointed Day celebration held in Kirakira, Premier of Makira Ulawa Province, Stanley Siapu stressed on the importance of reliable infrastructure and the fact that without it, economic development will cease to commence.
“I am serving my second term as premier of Makira Ulawa province, and during this short period, I came to realize that my province, like all other provinces, may not be able to fulfill its rural economic development aspirations without solid and reliable infrastructures to which will anchor my province’s economic development initiatives for effective service delivery.
“I also realized that for a greater part of my premiership, my office and my officers’ pre-occupation have been focused on planning, procuring and constructing the much-needed infrastructures on various sectors all over the province.
“It is also common knowledge that there is management of “expectation gap” being the difference between what the communities expect us to deliver and what we are able to do within the limited resources made available to us,” Siapu said.
The Premier stated that serving communities is a matter of great importance as elected members and officers, but the bottom line of all this is the availability of resources (both finance and human resources) to enable provinces to deliver what is expected of them by their people.
He voiced that it is apparent that provinces cannot do all these things without stakeholder support and intervention of private sector investment initiatives.
Siapu mentioned that ideas of creating enable environment to encourage local economic development (LED) in respective provinces had been expounded before in various premiers’ conferences.
“My newly formed PACRA government however, intends to be more specific and reinvigorate further reform on this issue.
“The intended outcome will generate support in terms of resourcing provinces for solid infrastructures that promote economic development by motivating private and institutional/corporate investors in our provinces,” Siapu said.
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