010611Bougainville progresses in development
By MARIA LAUKAI
Bougainville, having come out of a 10 year conflict, is doing its best to rebuild a new nation from a province that has suffered the loss of more than 15,000 human lives and also its basic services says ABG vice president Patrick Nisira.
Honourable Nisira said this in response to criticisms that the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG), since its inauguration in 2005, has not trickled basic services to the rural areas.
He said ABG is trying its best to rebuild out of a province that has suffered the loss of its entire infrastructure development, communication, education and health services.
He said, since its establishment in 2005, ABG has reconstructed 577 education facilities, 346 Elementary schools, 216 Primary Schools, 5 Boarding High Schools, 1 Day High School, 4 Specialized Training Centers, 2 Technical High Schools, all enrolling 65,954 students.
Nisira added that in the public health sector, the ABG and the state have reopened 127 Aid Posts, 32 Health Centers and the Buka Hospital.
He said this was a success story considering ABG is operating out of a meager K9 million from its ‘infant’ internal revenue annual budget and budgetary support of the PNG government and funds from overseas friends.
He added that a latest study carried out in Arawa, Buin and Buka by the New South Wales University shows that Bougainville people are better off in terms of income per capita than some provinces of PNG.
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