O'neill Government has series problems

Mr. Basil

The PNG Opposition has warned that the O’Neill Government has a more serious problem in its hands than it is admitting.

Deputy Opposition Leader Sam Basil highlighted two issues which he has called on the media to probe and bring the Government to account for; the 2014 budget deficit which he describes as a rushed, template copy of the 2013 budget deficit, and the other is the International Petroleum Investment Co (IPIC) loan which the Government has to explain how it will repay next Month, March 14.

On the budget 2014 deficit, he says it will be a lot higher than what was announced where the details were not well explained and where the O’Neill Government would not be able to account properly for their financial promises.

He said there had been many a ‘smoke and mirror’ charade by the O’Neill Government with media statements lacking facts. As forewarned, he says, the Government had been unable to pay the District Services Improvement Program  (DSIP) funds on time as required by the Constitution which should tell the people that something is going on that is not transparent or fair for the people.

He says the 2014 budget and a ‘a very suspicious supplementary budget for 2013’ should serve as warnings to PNG citizens about this Government, especially when the budget has not taken into account how the IPIC loan is to be repaid come march, 2014.  He says the PM had already stated that the state would get back the Oil Search shares but there had been no media commentary or proper account of how this was going to happen. "We have seen reports in the media that international banks are bidding for the refinancing but some details have not been given to the public or accounted for in the 2014 Budget or any facts given,’’ said Mr Basil.

"To state the obvious, the O’Neill Government does not have a plan for the return of the Oil Search shares and with time against them, they will complete a transaction that is not beneficial to PNG, or they will do nothing at all.

"The prediction by the Opposition is that the O’Neill Government will say the best outcome was addressed and concluded when there are beneficial alternatives or give the PNG public a mundane excuse as to why the OS shares did not come back to the citizens of PNG; the

O’Neill Government cannot let the latter occur as it is an asset that bears value in terms of income and capital growth to PNG.’’

He said Papua New Guineans needed to know what was happening with the IPIC loan so that if the OS shares were foregone as a State asset under the O’Neill government, then every citizen would know what they were trying to hide and "judge them on the basis of truth rather than the lies that they give us’’.

PNG Today / Post Courier