|
Sports |
Rhetoric cover-up
THE Prime Minister has stated that he
will allow all Papua New Guineans to enjoy the wealth this vast
nation offers. I do hope this is not just a political statement.
The current state of the economy has everything to do with
mineral prices boom times, not great economic management.
The people deserve to share some of the boom. Not just the top
1,000 bureaucrats.
You go to Port Moresby General Hospital and tell me if wealth is
being shared. It is a disgrace. MPs fly abroad for surgery at
the taxpayers’ expense rather than go to the country’s “premier”
hospital.
The hospital needs K10 million in renovations immediately.
What does Parliament do?
Buy new television sets and computers for MPs. Not even a
discussion on fixing the hospital.
It is not the Moti affair that has soured our relationship with
Canberra.
It is our leaders’ attitude.
The PM has interfered with the judiciary, refused to front any
inquiry and now wants to suppress the inquiry report into the
matter. Where is oft quoted transparency?
In the current Digicel-Telikom row, the PM again misses the
point.
Of course telecommunications is an important asset of PNG.
And that is why it has taken years to admit competition.
The problem is not nationalistic.
The problem is that after allowing competition, the goal posts
are being moved by policy amendment, after an offshore investor
acted upon its licence being granted.
What does that tell potential investors?
The PM is using nationalist rhetoric to cover up what is
essentially a dishonest rule change after an agreement has been
reached.
In five years time, we will reflect on all these.
Will the grassroots people of PNG be better off?
Will there be more employment?
Will cost of living reduce?
Will crime rate reduce?
Reality is, I think not. And five years of resources would have
been wasted.
Let us hope that the PM can prove me wrong.
Not 5 more
years of pain
Port Moresby
 
|
