IT could hardly be described as an encouraging start to 2008.
In the first few days of the New Year, Papua New Guineans have been hit by an avalanche of bad news.
Fuel prices have gone through the roof.
It’s pointless to compare them with those experienced in other countries unless those in other countries are receiving similar incomes to our own people.
Our ability to pay is the issue, not the figures themselves.
The same applies to the companies for whom fuel is an essential item – the road freighters, the aircraft, the shipping services and the manufacturing industries.
All these sectors have been dealt a devastating body blow by the fuel price hike.
We’re not discussing the justifications for that hike; obviously nobody expects a small private fuel company such as InterOil to operate at an ongoing loss.
But we can react to that company’s brusque refusal to follow the regulations and work with ICCC to reach some kind of bearable solution both for our people and for themselves.
And what’s more, they appear to have got away with thumbing their corporate nose at the Government body.
This establishes an unfortunate precedent; if it’s good enough for InterOil, then it will be found to be good enough for others in the years ahead.
Now we have the price
hike in power.
This has been justified by pointing out that it is the balance of a price increase that was to have been applied a year ago; at that time only a fraction of the increase was brought into play.
The result is that of last January’s 11.93% increase, we now reap a hefty 9.16% hike to offset the difference.
No doubt that looks entirely plausible on paper; the trouble is that the average householder cannot possibly afford such a massive increase in power costs, already well above those applying in comparable countries.
PNG Power CEO Patrick Mara noted that fuel prices had increased by “over 17% since last year” of which the recent 12% increase will not be reflected in the 2008 tariffs.
Our pay packets have not made the same dramatic leap.
Then came The National’s revelation of a K53 million payout from the National Planning and District Development Department.
This huge amount of money is alleged to have been disbursed despite both a top Government directive to halt the payment and more importantly, a court order.
The current National Planning Minister has ordered a “major shake-up” of the department and the Treasurer has stated that attempts will be made “to recover the money”.
Recovering K53 million would appear to be a major priority of any government and particularly, one that has so recently come to power.
Nor can the present administration take refuge in the knowledge that it soundly defeated the sitting government at the last election; while portfolios may have been redistributed and some ministers may no longer hold power, the current Government remains that of PM Sir Michael Somare and his cabinet.
Then comes the issue of the National Capital District Commission.
It seems that there have been attempts to railroad acceptance of the K125 million budget, with documents allegedly being whisked around the capital for signature during unofficial hours last weekend.
Mr Parkop came to power on a wave of popular support unprecedented in Port Moresby. At last the people of this battered city felt that somebody was in power, who could and would make a difference to the capital.
Yet the budget documents were only signed last Dec 27, four days before the deadline and Mr Parkop says that “since I got elected we only had two board meetings between last July and December”.
If board members are so casual about attending NCDC meetings, then they should be sacked and replaced.
In addition to these matters, inmates of prisons and police cells have continued their seasonal and illegal departures from premises that appear to have more possibilities of egress than a colander.
PNG voters gave this Government an overwhelming vote of support at the elections.
They are entitled to expect that current Government performance will match that vote of confidence.