Produce evidence or stop making false allegations on drug bust, says PNG Police Chief

The PNG Marape-Steven Government must not try to use the Coronavirus Pandemic as an excuse to ignore the many pressing issues the country is facing that are hurting our people.

Leader of the People’s National Congress Party, Hon. Peter O’Neill, CMG, MP, said that since discovering multiple new cases of COVID-19 infections in recent weeks, the government has avoided dealing with other pressing National matters.

“There is no doubt Coronavirus is one of the most important challenges facing the country today, but a capable government would not lose sight of the many other critical areas that must be managed.”

Mr. O’Neill said COVID-19 must not be used as a smokescreen to hide inaction and failure, as the economy is in serious trouble, and this was happening before Coronavirus.

“The Investment Promotion Authority was cited in a Business Advantage PNG story published today, stating that that foreign direct investment fell by 80 percent in the first quarter of this year.

“The government’s ongoing failure to deliver commitments that have been made under the 2020 budget will not go away.

“In recent weeks we have seen a further serious decline of the economy and failure of the government to meet services obligations. Particularly as this comes to funding shortfalls in healthcare, education and law and order, and once again pays for our public servants were delayed.

“There can be no excuses for not meeting National financial obligations, particularly as the government has borrowed more than two billion Kina to meet COVID-19 promises.

“This government has also taken on other foreign debt and stopped making loan payments as part of the Treasurer’s Paris Club deal, while at the same time the country has missed out on State revenue because of their near-killing of the resources sector.”

Peter O’Neill made the point that under the cover of COVID-19, nothing has been done to revive any of the major projects that have come to a halt.

“Marape said he will have all failed resources projects revived and wrapped up by September, but this is just more All-Talk and No-Action.

“We are less than one month away from his self-imposed deadline, but Porgera is still closed, P’nyang negotiations are still failed, Papua LNG is still on the shelf and Wafi-Golpu is still all talk with nothing tangible happening.

“If anyone was looking for an example of what All-Talk and No-Action looks like, they can just look at the depressed state of the resources sector after one year of neglect.”

Mr. O’Neill said that managing the Coronavirus threat is one of the greatest challenges to government, but such a threat should never be used as an excuse for being lazy in every other area of government responsibility.

“Our people grow more frustrated by the day as this government stumbles around and fails to meet the basic needs and expectations of the people.”

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Produce evidence or stop making false allegations on drug bust, says PNG Police Chief