News and Public Notices

The latest from across Bougainville

BRC needs complete funds to meet target

Bougainville Electoral Commissioner and Co-Chair of the Bougainville Referendum Commission Transitional Committee (BRCTC), George Manu said that the delayed delivery of funding was having far-reaching and critical implications for the BRC’s ability to carry out a quality outcome of its operations by the target date.

Since the first meeting of the BRC-TC on 5 December 2017, a range of activities have been progressed and that there are a number of constraints affecting progress, which if are not addressed quickly would affect the quality of the outcome.

Mr Manu said that at the 29th June 2018 JSB meeting, the JSB resolved, among other things that the approved funding for the BRC operations of K20 million from the National Government and K500, 000.00 from ABG be progressively transferred to the agreed Trust Account.

It was noted that the initial national government contribution of K1.2 million has been transferred to NCOBA pending the BRC trust account becoming operational, he said.

He said that the 11-12 October 2018 JSB meeting, resolved to provide funding of PGK 34 million for the referendum in 2019.

“The Prime Minister indicated his support for the budget, noting that it would be incorporated into the 2019 National Budget.”

“He further committed to ensure that previous funds that had been committed would be honored and be over and above the K34 million,” he added.

“To date, the BRC has received only the PGK 500,000 contribution from the ABG. Those funds have been exhausted and while those PGK 1.2 million of the PGK 20 million has been transferred to NCOBA, those funds are yet to be received by the BRC.”

Mr Manu said that it was challenging to run an electoral event with irregular funding and that the BRC needs the upfront release of funding to carry out and complete operations set before the target date of June 15.

[ Back to News ]