Prime Minister Peter O'Neill gave his full backing of the 2014 Budget today, saying it continued the foundations laid in 2013.
He said the record spending in infrastructure development, health, education, and business development (SME) was justified for the continued growth of the country's GDP.
"No economy can grow without investing in infrastructure development. That is a fact all around the world," the Prime Minister said during debate in Parliament.
"We are continuing the rehabilitation of the highlands highway with K150 million, we are putting another K100 million into Lae city roads. There's K10 million for the Buluminski Highway to complete the upgrade to Namatanai.
"With ADB funding we will upgrade and seal the Malalaua – Kerema highway. This will continue to Kikori, and link up with the Southern Highlands Gulf Highway which is being funded. This will connect that part of the world to the rest of highlands, and Lae and Madang.
"The Australian Government will fund the Ramu – Madang Highway. And there are allocations for other roads in the country which must be upgraded and built so our people can use them to have accessibility and give them opportunities."
Mr O'Neill said the K50 million allocated for the development of the Sepik plains will create opportunities in that part of PNG.
"There has been a lot of talk over the years to develop this region, but nothing is ever done. I want to commend the Commerce and Trade Minister for initiating this project and engaging a developer for this project which will create a lot of opportunities for the Sepik people and also the country at large."
The Prime Minister also explained an allocation in the budget for the PNG LNG project which would enable landowners to directly participate in the massive project.
"This was agreed to when we sanctioned the project during the UBSA negotiations. We are now allocating the funds to allow the landowners to participate, to give security to the project that is vital to our economy.
"The Opposition leader has misrepresented himself and misled the house by describing it as expropriating something belonging to our people. If he reads the budget books better, he will understand and not make misleading and inflammatory comments like he did," he said.
He urged the Opposition leader to debate facts, and put the interest of the country first before personal and individual interests.
I write in my capacity as the Chairman of the Katnimber Investment Company Limited, a company representing the interest of the three villagers of Kambaraka, Yari and Nungawa of the Urimo ring in the sepik plains of the Yangoru Sausia Electorate. Honourable Richard Maru is our local member.
ReplyDeleteThe three named villagers as far as this project is concerned are the only landowners that will provide land to this project in the urimo area. All other land has been acquired under the SABL of which the Limawo Oil Palm project is being carried out on.
It has come to my attention as the Chairman that certain persons with vested interest who are not executive of the above land owner company or are even villagers within the three named villages have orchestrated certain activity to register ILG of the landowners. This people in the likes of Martin Sukwei and Spencer Boroma do not have any interest at all. They are more or less opportunist.
The three named villagers do not need to register an ILG too because there is also an existing ILG that covers the three villagers.
As the chairman, I make this representation on behalf the three villages that the office of the member must not deal with any so called executives purporting to represent the interest of the urimo people as this will be misleading and amounting to false pretence.
The only landowner company that the office of Minister Maru must deal with is the Katnimber Investment Company Limited. All communications pertaining to this project must be directed to Chairman Michael Koimo on his email at michael.koimo@hotmail.com
We have reason to believe that those persons are orchestrating this have knowledge of the government funding and are intentional trying to be the executives for reasons only known to them.
The Office of the Member for Yangoru Sausia must be immediately informed of this and immediate communications made with the chairman as a matter of concern.
I write in my capacity as the Chairman of the Katnimber Investment Company Limited, a company representing the interest of the three villagers of Kambaraka, Yari and Nungawa of the Urimo ring in the sepik plains of the Yangoru Sausia Electorate. Honourable Richard Maru is our local member.
ReplyDeleteThe three named villagers as far as this project is concerned are the only landowners that will provide land to this project in the urimo area. All other land has been acquired under the SABL of which the Limawo Oil Palm project is being carried out on.
It has come to my attention as the Chairman that certain persons with vested interest who are not executive of the above land owner company or are even villagers within the three named villages have orchestrated certain activity to register ILG of the landowners. This people in the likes of Martin Sukwei and Spencer Boroma do not have any interest at all. They are more or less opportunist.
The three named villagers do not need to register an ILG too because there is also an existing ILG that covers the three villagers.
As the chairman, I make this representation on behalf the three villages that the office of the member must not deal with any so called executives purporting to represent the interest of the urimo people as this will be misleading and amounting to false pretence.
The only landowner company that the office of Minister Maru must deal with is the Katnimber Investment Company Limited. All communications pertaining to this project must be directed to Chairman Michael Koimo on his email at michael.koimo@hotmail.com
We have reason to believe that those persons are orchestrating this have knowledge of the government funding and are intentional trying to be the executives for reasons only known to them.
The Office of the Member for Yangoru Sausia must be immediately informed of this and immediate communications made with the chairman as a matter of concern.