Toroama calls for urgent issues to be resolved
President Ishmael Toroama has urged the Joint Supervisory Body to resolve outstanding issues that have reoccurred on its list of agendas over the last 15 years.
The President made this statement during the Pre-JSB that was convened in Port Moresby yesterday between the Autonomous Bougainville Government and the National Government.
“We are now 19 years after the signing of the Bougainville Peace Agreement and 15 years after the formation of the Autonomous Bougainville Government,” he said.
“These outstanding agendas must be concluded before the next JSB so that we can focus on the substantive matters of ratifying the Referendum Result,” the President added.
President Toroama told Prime Minister James Marape that he understands the stress the PNG Government is under as a result of Covid 19’s impact on the global and local economy.
He added that Bougainville is also under pressure from the voters whose expectations on the 98% percent remains unwavering.
Most of the unresolved issues are hinged on the national government’s commitment to Bougainville in areas of financial support, capacity building for the autonomous arrangements and development projects.
The ongoing issue of outstanding constitutional grants owed to the ABG under the Restoration and Development Grants, the delay in divesting the BCL shares to the ABG, delay in drawdown of powers and functions, taxation initiatives and benefit sharing from fisheries revenue.
These agendas from the JSB are inherited from past governments on both sides who could not reach a consensus to resolve them in the last 15 years.
Whilst the process has all but stalled, President Toroama has made several progress on the home front to boost the new government’s priorities in its first hundred days through his Six Point Strategy.
The ABG is looking to begin the preliminaries on its economic initiatives in the extractive and primary industries, it has also begun realigning its public service and it has made significant advancement in its preparations on the Post Referendum Consultations.
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