301110GRANT APPROVED
By Aloysius Laukai

The Autonomous Bougainville Government will be able to meet some of its outstanding commitments before Christmas, thanks to the Prime Minister, Chief SIR MICHAEL SOMARE’s intervention last week to ensure that the FIFTEEN MILLION KINA for Bougainville’s Restoration Grant was released by the Department for Finance.

The FIFTEEN MILLION KINA restoration grant is allocated to the ABG by the National Government under Section 49 of the Bougainville Peace Agreement and Section 326, subsection 11 of the Organic Law on Peace Building in Bougainville.

However this year, 2010 AND ALSO next year 2011 the National Government has not included this into the National Budget.

ABG PRESIDENT, JOHN MOMIS when thanking the Prime Minister, SIR MICHAEL SOMARE and Treasurer, O ‘Neil for approving this year’s grant said that Bougainville was fortunate that some National Leaders who were involved in putting together the Bougainville Peace Agreement are still there and were prepared to help Bougainville achieve its full Autonomy and then move towards Referendum to decide its future political status.

MR. MOMIS said that the Restoration and Development Grant provided by the National Government each year was important to the ABG as this was the only money that the ABG has control over its usage, as others funds are controlled by its agents on Bougainville.

Other funds under the ABG’s control is the SEVEN MILLION KINA Internal Revenue.

Comments

[Nelo]

'What was the PM waiting for?' I've heard of this K15m in July, 2010? Anyway, along with that our acting chief administrator assured parents of a K2m set aside for subsidizing 40 percent of Bougainville students' fees. That was five months ago...the accademic year has now ended.. can the ABG SFAS or any concerned authorities come out clear on this?