THE Southern Highlands Provincial Administration has successfully submitted its 2025 Annual Provincial Performance Report (APPR) to the Department of Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs (DPLGA), reaffirming its unwavering commitment to transparency, accountability, and service delivery to the people of Southern Highlands Province despite significant financial and operational hurdles.
The report, which covers both the Section 119 performance account and the financial Section 114 component, was presented by Deputy Provincial Administrator – Corporate Services, Mr Kenneth Kelei, who candidly addressed the primary obstacle faced by the provincial administration, the delayed release of recurrent grants from the National Government.
“Mostly, we received our recurrent grants late. Those funds were released from the National Government, and that took up implementation time and delayed us. But we are still complying to fulfill our reporting requirements,” Mr Kelei stated.
Mr Kelei emphasizing that despite these funding constraints which impacted the implementation timeframe for planned activities, the administration has demonstrated its dedication to meeting its statutory obligations under the Organic Law on Provincial Governments and Local-level Governments.
Mr Kelei also acknowledged that the ongoing renovation of the Agiru Building, which serves as the headquarters for the Southern Highlands Provincial Administration, has presented additional challenges to normal operations, yet the administration has continued to function effectively to ensure essential services to the people remain uninterrupted.
Looking ahead, the Provincial Administration has indicated its intention to submit future Section 119 and Section 114 reports together, provided that recurrent funding is released in a timely manner, allowing sufficient implementation time and ensuring more efficient completion of required documentation.
The administration has also committed to strengthening its collaboration with DPLGA to further improve its reporting, planning, and implementation processes, ensuring that the people of Southern Highlands Province receive the quality services they deserve.
Receiving the reports on behalf of DPLGA, Deputy Secretary Larsen Thomas explained that the Section 119 and Section 114 reports are important accountability and performance reporting mechanisms that enable the National Government to assess provincial performance and service delivery at the sub-national level, with the Department acknowledging the Southern Highlands Provincial Administration for its submission while continuing to work with the remaining provinces to ensure full compliance.
The submission of the report stands as a testament to the Southern Highlands Provincial Administration’s resilience and dedication to transparent governance and improved performance in delivering government services to the people of Southern Highlands Pr