Papua New Guinea has no riches to boast about: Morauta

OPPOSITION leader Sir Mekere Morauta has challenged Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare to show proof of all the riches accumulated by his Government, The National reports,

Sir Mekere was responding to a number of statements issued by Sir Michael early this week.

In one statement, the Prime Minister defended the purchase of an expensive Falcon jet, saying PNG was rich enough to afford this executive aircraft.

In a another statement, Sir Michael said Papua New Guineans were better off now than they were at Independence and there was no one starving from poverty in the rural areas.

Sir Mekere said yesterday the Prime Minister’s statements were the ultimate insult to the people, who were suffering lack of basic services, essential drugs and high price of goods and services.

“The Prime Minister and his Government’s social and economic radar is seriously off course.

“He needed to reset the radar to reflect the serious problem the nation is facing,” Sir Mekere said.

“There is no denying that this country enjoyed unprecedented economic growth for the last seven years.

“But that had little to do with what (Sir Michael) put in place; the climate for stability and growth were in place before his Government was voted in.

“PNG enjoyed an economic boom, with large inflow of revenue from high commodity prices, due largely to the economic expansion in China and India.

“We had a tidal wave of added revenue,” he added.

“PNG, according to the Prime Minister, is rich enough to buy a Falcon jet for his use, but not rich enough to pay nurses, teachers and policemen; not rich enough to pay school fees; not rich enough to pay for medicine for rural clinics and provide schools with provisions.

“Port Moresby General Hospital, the nation’s premier hausik, is a national shame.

“People like the Prime Minister and I can be medivac to Brisbane, Singapore, Cairns and Townsville, but what about our uncles, aunties and nephews; the money for the Falcon should be used to provide services for them in the country.

“Stories are bound of serious sick people waiting for days to be attended to at the Port Moresby General Hospital.”

Sir Mekere said millions of kina in public funds had been mismanaged with nothing to show for that could make Sir Michael and his Government proud.

“Where are the new roads, schools, hospitals and clinics?

“Where are the promised houses for public servants and teachers?”

He said the Somare Government beat their own expectations by blowing last year’s budget by K540 million.

“The Government is continuing this reckless spending approach unrestrained, and we can expect a bigger budget deficit this year.

“Of course, we have to borrow to fund these deficits and, like all borrowings, someone has to pay for them.”