Prime Minister Condemns Misinformation from Opposition – Claims of Army Callout on SOE are Nonsense

The Prime Minister,  Peter O’Neill  has condemned misinformation being used by the Opposition to deceive the public over the State of Emergency in relation to PNG Power.

“The state of emergency was established under the Essential Services Act to restore confidence in services and to ensure reliability of power supply,” the Prime Minister said.

“There is no army callout, that is nonsense.

“The only policing requirement would be in the event that PNG Power workers were prevented form carrying out their legitimate duties.

“The enforcement of the law is the job of police.”

The Prime Minister said clear action is essential in restoring power and confidence in the energy production sector of the nation.

“People around our country are facing interruption of services and difficulty of access to reliable electricity supply.

“This essential action is restoring services to those consumers who are being denied access to power, and putting an end to electricity theft.”

PM O’Neill said the attitude of the Opposition was deplorable at a time when the Government was making firm gains to right the wrongs of past neglect.

“The do-nothing attitude of the Don Polye and Sam Basil is alarming.

“The Opposition would rather sit back and do nothing while there were people stealing electricity and getting away with it.

“Our government has acted in a stern but firm manner to stop the stealing.

“The amnesty has expired and, through this process, we have seen a number of people step forward and seek to correct their situation and we thank them for their honesty. The electricity capacity that is no longer being stolen can now be accounted for and used by people who pay their bills.

“For anyone who continues to steal electricity, be prepared that it is only a matter of time before your power is cut off and you will be prosecuted for theft.”