FEW ACHIEVEMENTS TO NOTE
10 percent GST from NCDC to increase annual budget
Central Province is
owed close to K400 million that is supposed to come from Goods and Services Tax
from the National Capital District Commission
The people of Central Province are entitled to this GST but have
never been receiving it
No other Governor over the years pushed for Central to
rightfully receive its share of the GST until Honourable Chief Robert Agarobe
was elected Governor
The three pillars for development are
Agriculture, Sports, Tourism
Under Hon Chief Robert Agarobe’s leadership, the long
overdue Provincial Lands Board was established to deal with Central Province
land issues
December,
2018
Some component of GST should come through Central Province
so that we can develop infrastructure and services in the province
As a first time parliamentarian, Hon Chief Robert Agarobe
has been very vocal on the floor of Parliament raising critical matters for
Central Province. Most of them are legacy issues.
Honorable Chief Robert Agarobe’s push to get the GST from NCDC has received big endorsement from Prime Minister James Marape
Hospital Launching
As far as health workers is concerned it has only 138 Health
Workers
Three are three doctors, 20 are Health Extension Officers and 115 are general nurses
We have a shortage with health manpower in the province and
our people are forced to seek medical attention at the Port Moresby General
Hospital
History has been made to improve health care. That’s a very
good news.
It’s a milestone ceremony.
Out of the760 hectares of land allocated, 50 hectares will be used to
build the Central Provincial Hospital
The K300 million, 390 beds hospital will be the first ever
for the province and this is something we always wanted as a people and as a
province
Other infrastructure
that will be built include
·
A nursing college
·
A transit drug store
With the new Central Provincial Hospital being launched,
work on its construction will progress and once the hospital is completed, it
will provide much needed health services for Central Province.
Apart from housing 390 beds for clinical treatment,
specialist health care in internal medicine, surgery, pediatric, women’s
obstetrics and gynecology will be provided.
Governor Agarobe says we are now progressing to be on par
with other provinces in delivering quality health services.
Such huge development is a catalysts for more development at
the provincial headquarters.
For over 20 years, NCDC had been giving less than 2 per cent
of its GST to Central Province
This contravenes the NCDC Act which requires NCDC to remit
10 percent to Central Province
This was a long standing issue with both the provincial government
and the municipal authority at loggerheads and the two parties went to court.
However with the new NCDC Amendment Act passed after
Honourable Chief Robert Agarobe brought it to Parliament, the dues for Central
Province are set out clearly
We must be proud and happy. After years if hardship,
disputes and court battles, Central Governor Robert Agarobe successfully moved
and amended the NCDC Act on the floor of Parliament.
Before the private
members bill was passed, there was heated debate amongst Members of Parliament
Despite a few opposition, there was tremendous support from
several Members of Parliament
Governor Agarobe’s bill moved to amend the NCDC Act explicitly states that the Commissioner General of the Internal Revenue Commission shall pay 10 per cent directly to the Central Provincial Government
For the first
time in history and backed by the NCDC Amendment Act, both the Central Province
Governor and the NCDC Governor will sit on the same NCDC board and make
decisions
Ultimately, Governor Agarobe is now a member of the National
Capital District Commission Board
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