Sir Julius Critical of PNG Treasurer , Marape-Steven Govt for Budget delays and broken promises
Governor of New Ireland, Sir Julius Chan, today expressed relief that the New Ireland Provincial Budget for 2020 had finally been approved, but said he was disappointed with the way the Treasury Minister and PNG National Government have treated his province.
“We were the first Province in the country to submit our Budget,” Sir Julius said. “That was nearly three months ago, on December 19, and in the meantime other Provinces have had their budgets approved while we had to wait. We have lost nearly all of the first quarter of the year because of delays in the office of the Treasury Minister.”
Sir Julius continued, saying “It is just bizarre to hear Minister Stuckey congratulating himself for the New Ireland Budget. He had nothing to do with preparing the Budget. He has done only two things. First, he delayed approval for three months, putting us behind schedule on funding of very important programs like Old Age and Disabled Pensions, Roof Over Heads, Ward Level Projects and others. Second, he has once again spun his web of fantasy, making promises of levels of National Funding that he knows full well will never happen.”
Sir Julius said the National Government has consistently failed to provide the support that it promises to the Provinces every year in the National Budget. “In 2019 the National Government promised New Ireland K162 million in National Grants to support our Provincial Budget. How much did we get? Only K33.6 million – twenty percent of what was promised! Where was the other K128 million?”
Sir Julius said “It is laughable to hear Minister Stuckey saying in his Budget Speech that we will have ‘no more fake budgets.’ Well, Minister Stuckey knows full well that the 2020 National Budget is just as fake as all the budgets of the past ten years. The Minister can spin all the fantasies he wants, but mark my words, the National Government will not deliver the funds it promises to deliver in 2020 to the Provinces. Mark my words – we will once again have a Supplementary Budget late in 2020 that cuts all the promised funding to Provinces and lower levels of Government. And when this happens, when we hear all the excuses and sob stories for why we have to have a Supplementary Budget come October, I just want you to remember one thing: I told you so.”
Sir Julius concluded, saying “The one thing we in New Ireland have become expert at is making contingency plans to ensure we can continue vital programs when the National Government reneges on its promises to provide funding. That has happened every year for the past ten years, and it will happen again in 2020. In New Ireland we are already preparing to carry on when the National Government breaks its promises.”
Next :
“We were the first Province in the country to submit our Budget,” Sir Julius said. “That was nearly three months ago, on December 19, and in the meantime other Provinces have had their budgets approved while we had to wait. We have lost nearly all of the first quarter of the year because of delays in the office of the Treasury Minister.”
Sir Julius continued, saying “It is just bizarre to hear Minister Stuckey congratulating himself for the New Ireland Budget. He had nothing to do with preparing the Budget. He has done only two things. First, he delayed approval for three months, putting us behind schedule on funding of very important programs like Old Age and Disabled Pensions, Roof Over Heads, Ward Level Projects and others. Second, he has once again spun his web of fantasy, making promises of levels of National Funding that he knows full well will never happen.”
Sir Julius said the National Government has consistently failed to provide the support that it promises to the Provinces every year in the National Budget. “In 2019 the National Government promised New Ireland K162 million in National Grants to support our Provincial Budget. How much did we get? Only K33.6 million – twenty percent of what was promised! Where was the other K128 million?”
Sir Julius said “It is laughable to hear Minister Stuckey saying in his Budget Speech that we will have ‘no more fake budgets.’ Well, Minister Stuckey knows full well that the 2020 National Budget is just as fake as all the budgets of the past ten years. The Minister can spin all the fantasies he wants, but mark my words, the National Government will not deliver the funds it promises to deliver in 2020 to the Provinces. Mark my words – we will once again have a Supplementary Budget late in 2020 that cuts all the promised funding to Provinces and lower levels of Government. And when this happens, when we hear all the excuses and sob stories for why we have to have a Supplementary Budget come October, I just want you to remember one thing: I told you so.”
Sir Julius concluded, saying “The one thing we in New Ireland have become expert at is making contingency plans to ensure we can continue vital programs when the National Government reneges on its promises to provide funding. That has happened every year for the past ten years, and it will happen again in 2020. In New Ireland we are already preparing to carry on when the National Government breaks its promises.”
Next :
Post a Comment