Joint Supervisory Body meeting set for December
by Anthony Kaybing
The long deferred Joint Supervisory Body (JSB) meeting between the ABG and the National Government has been scheduled for the 14 and 15 of December this year.
In a special parliament convened on Wednesday to discuss the JSB, ABG President Chief Dr John Momis said serveral outstanding JSB agendas from the previous meeetings will be discussed .
Preparing for the 2019 referendum will be a key point of discussion and there is an urgency to operationalize the recently formed Bougainville Referendum Commission.
“We need to appoint commissioners, agree on an independent Chair and put in place systems, processes and procedures to govern how the Commission will work,” President Momis said.
Momis further stated that all of this required the support and agreement of the National Government.
He added that the two governments also need to reach an agreement on the question or questions to be put to the people of Bougainville at the referendum. The criteria that will apply to non-resident Bougainvilleans voting in the referendum is also up for discussion.
Another key agenda during the JSB will be the failure by the National Government to honour its constitutional obligations through outstanding payments of the Restoration Development Grant.
“By our estimates we are now owed more than K900 million and by the National Government’s own estimates we are owed more than K360 million,” President Momis said.
“Just like the RDG the ABG is owed significant arrears under the Special Intervention Fund of 2011 that should have seen a total of K500 million being approved for high impact development projects; only K299 million has been received with a shortfall of K201 million,” Momis revealed.
Other key issues in the forthcoming JSB will include the need for the second joint review of the autonomy arrangements, peace building efforts by the ABG, weapons disposal provisions in the Bougainville Peace Agreement, revenues from fishing around Bougainville waters and continued draw down of powers and functions.
The JSB is the foremost entity that offers an avenue for the National Government and the ABG to discuss issues pertaining to Bougainville’s autonomous arrangement and is co-chaired by the ABG President and Prime Minister of PNG.
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