BY BEN BILUA
Gizo
THE Provincial Public Account Committee of Western Province found that the province has overspent a total of 2,678,651 as part of its 2020/2021 recurrent expenditure.
According to Chair of PPAC, Ramraka Talasasa, the overspending is due to one reason and that is the mismatch of budget allocations to respective divisional heads.
He said Divisions that were identified for overspending their budget allocations are; Administration – $842,054, Forestry – $742,750, Office of the Premier – $628,036, Works and Transport – $327,534, Development Planning – $138,277.
Talasasa said PPAC found that the huge over spending compared to revised amount, is the Administration division with an excess amount of $ 842,054. (Revised 2020/2021 is 3,629,870 less actual 2020/2021 4,471,924).
“Of the total actual of 4,471,924 an excess of 904,946 was committed on disaster expenditure bringing the total disaster expenditure to 2,046,532. Additional revenue of 730,305 was received from SIG Budget support and is used to supplement this over spending,” he said.
Talasasa further explained that the amount of 2,678,651 is the total amount overspent that needs to be appropriated.
He said PPAC has received a supplementary appropriation of 2,813,324 leaving a difference of 134,673.
On the other hand, Talasasa said PPAC has also found that there are divisions who are under spending their division budget as per revised budget.
He said the divisions that are underspending their budget allocation includes; Lands – $359,479, Finance – $254,642, Assembly Office – $180,542, Education – $158,399, Health – $142,173, Fisheries – $132,520, Agriculture – $117,653, Local Council – $72,469, Tourism – $51,749, Youth – $51, 471, Commerce – $42,293, Environment – $36,790, Women Development – $31,015 and Sports – $25,283.
Talasasa reminds WPG that projections should be as realistic as possible for revenue and expenditures rather than affording token amounts and funding unplanned activities not captured in the budget.
