Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Bougainville confident PNG Government will advance promised funding

Posted at 22:52 on 19 September, 2012 UTC

The President of the autonomous Papua New Guinea province of Bougainville says both his administration and the national government need to collaborate to properly implement the Bougainville Peace Agreement.

John Momis has been petitioned by veterans of the civil war and accepts parts of the agreement are not in place.

He says there is a need for a new approach but he says he is confident of a lot of support from Prime Minister Peter O’Neill with whom he has been meeting this week.

Mr Momis says a key factor has been Port Moresby’s failure to provide the constitutionally allowed funding.

“That is the Restoration Development Grant which we have not got for the last 3 years as well as the 100 million (kina) per annum that was guaranteed by the Government to be given to Bougainville, but we have had very good discussions in the recent past and I am positive that this will result in a mutually acceptable result.”

The President of the autonomous Papua New Guinea province of Bougainville, John Momis.