Reflect on Papua New Guinea’s Success this Christmas – National Government is Dealing with Global Challenges

Statement by Hon. Peter O’Neill CMG MP, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea:

As we again celebrate Christmas, our country can reflect on our shared successes, and we can prepare to meet the challenges that lay before us.

Our country is changing and it is changing fast.

In one generation we are moving from traditional communities to a modern market economy where we trade with the world.

Our country is also in the strongest position it has ever been since Independence.

We have experienced fourteen consecutive years of positive economic growth.

But sadly, there are always scare mongers and other political opportunists who every day will try to talk-down our economy.

These people are not acting in the national interest, they are undermining our economy simply for their own gain. This is deplorable behaviour, and members of the Opposition and their faceless cronies who are guilty of talking our economy down should be ashamed of themselves.

Irrespective of their propaganda, the facts speak for themselves.

The foundations of our economy are sound and strong.

In the coming year we are anticipating growth at around ten percent, which is the envy of so many countries facing global challenges.

The national Government is taking a positive and proactive approach to reduced revenue inflows caused by lower commodity prices, together with the additional burden of climate change and drought.

This approach is clear in our sensible approach to the 2016 budget.

You can rest assured that our Government will continue to fund our core priorities:

• We will ensure school fees are paid;

• We will make sure healthcare expenses are paid;

• We will continue to properly fund police, the courts and prisons; and,

• We will continue to build critical infrastructure for our people.

We have sufficient foreign exchange coverage, Government debt is within the set ceiling and is manageable, inflation is stable and there are positive long-term indicators in employment.

One of the best votes of confidence in the ongoing positive prospect for our economy is the commitment from international company, TOTAL S.A., to move forward with the next LNG project.

Over the next five years this will see 10,000 Papua New Guineans employed in the construction phase, new education and training programs and downstream benefits for thousands of small businesses.

The people of our nation need only look around their communities and towns to see the change that is happening in only a few short years as we have implemented the core policies we took to the 2012 election.

Our people have better access to Government services than ever before.

We now have more children in school than at any other time in our history. This also means there are more girls in school than ever before - and this will empower an entire generation of women.

We are expanding access to healthcare and more people are surviving from injuries and disease than ever before. We thank our churches for their support in delivering healthcare support.

The streets and communities around our country are becoming safer as we have more police, better judiciary and true rehabilitation in our prisons.

Certainly we have more work to do on enhancing safety, particularly when it comes to modernising our police, but this is a challenge we are meeting head-on.

We are also seeing changes in our communities with infrastructure being built, from the cities to the most remote villages.

These new roads, new ports, new bridges, new schools, teachers colleges and government buildings are creating an even stronger economy. The billions of Kina we have spent on infrastructure is now generating trade and this is delivering jobs for our people.

Our country will further be the host of a number of major events in the coming years that will shine the global spotlight on our people and our development. This includes the FIFA Women’s Under 20 World Cup and in 2016 and the APEC Leaders’ Summit in 2018.

As we celebrate Christmas this year, I ask our people to give thanks for Papua New Guinea and be proud of all that we have achieved together.

Each and every person in our nation is part of a very special community that has an evolving place in the world. We are unique in our diversity and we are united in our desire to build a stronger nation.

May our Lord bring your family blessing, prosperity and happiness.