Billions Wasted, Debt Rising – O’Neill Says PNG PM Marape Has Lost Control
Former PNG PM Peter O’Neill has accused Prime Minister James Marape of losing control of the nation’s finances and plunging the country into record levels of debt despite spending over K56 billion in the past six years.
O’Neill said Marape’s leadership had been marked by waste, arrogance, and a refusal to accept responsibility for the government’s failures. “It’s gut-wrenching to watch Marape blame governors, health authorities, and universities instead of facing the truth,” he said. “Every decision on the national budget rests with the Prime Minister.”
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| Former Prime Minister Peter O’Neill |
He said ordinary Papua New Guineans were now feeling the consequences of mismanagement. “Ask any Papua New Guinean and they will tell Marape to stop talking and start doing, stop the corruption and cover-ups, and start working for the people,” O’Neill said.
Despite record global prices for gold and oil, O’Neill said the country had “gone backwards.” He said record GDP numbers had done nothing to fix hospitals, create jobs, or improve education. “Celebrating numbers while people suffer shows how out of touch this government has become,” he said.
O’Neill claimed the Marape government had “mortgaged” the country’s future by depending on the IMF, ADB, World Bank, and Australia for funding. “He has shackled our country to foreign interests that care little for our sovereignty,” O’Neill said.
He warned that the government’s crackdown on dissent, including restrictions on public speech and media freedom, was creating a “police-state mentality.” “Public servants who stand up for the truth are being sidelined,” he said.
O’Neill said voters would hold Marape accountable at the 2027 National General Election. “The people are tired of excuses,” he said. “They will judge him on performance, not promises.”
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