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President’s Statement on Donor Aid to Bougainville

The donor community have remained important development partners over several decades and will remain so until Bougainville stands on its own feet economically.

For over thirty years, they have contributed significantly during the crisis years, the restoration period, the Bougainville peace process and the establishment of the autonomous arrangements through the implementation of the Bougainville Peace Agreement.

The growth in the delivery of services in education, health, transport infrastructure, increase in household income of rural farmers, law and order and building peaceful communities reflects the impact of their contribution.

The aid has also extended to providing advisory support to the ABG administration and political leaders with the aim of building our capacity at both levels of the ABG Government and we are very thankful to all our development partners in this regard.

Following the Referendum which returned an unshakeable 97.7% result for Independence, Bougainville is now at the crossroad as we turn a new page towards eventual sovereignty. The people throughout Bougainville have embarked on a journey of being independence ready by taking actions at both the family and community levels in a way that hasn’t happened in the last 30 years.

The Referendum results has signaled the need to innovate and do things differently. This change must also be seen in the way development partners provide support to Bougainville – more of the same unfortunately will not be good enough for Bougainville.

My government will insist on aid coordination from every development partner to be channeled through the ABG under our Six Point Strategy and Independence Readiness initiative.

As part of our independence preparations my government has placed particular emphasis on building Bougainville’s economic capacity to generate internal revenue.

Development aid on Bougainville must now be focused on developing our economic sectors in key areas identified by the ABG to create a fiscally self-reliant Bougainville.

In terms of capacity building, there is a significant pool of well educated, experienced and competent Bougainvilleans living in other parts of PNG or elsewhere who should be mobilized to make a contribution in their homeland.

These persons are well versed with the local context and Bougainville’s development needs and priorities, many of whom are decorated with degrees from Western universities.  So how is it that you do not recognize your own products?

As President of Bougainville, I am delighted with what you have done for Bougainville in the recent past.  However, it is time for a change in the type of development aid and the way it is provided so that your support prepares us for eventual sovereignty.

 

Hon. Ishmael Toroama
President

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