Hints on where to spend K700mil

THE Government’s failure to effectively regulate and control public money is cause for concern. The recent disclosure concerning the disappearance of K700 million from the Finance Department is another blow for the Government.
For K700 million, PNG could do the following:
1. Rebuild 7,000 primary schools at a cost of K100,000 each;
2. Rebuild the existing 200 high schools in the country at a cost of K3.5 million each;
3. Complete sealing the Highlands-Okuk Highway from Lae to Mendi;
4. Refurnish all hospitals in PNG (20 hospitals x K35 million each) and move all our mothers waiting on elective surgeries out of the waiting list;
5. Treat every malaria patient in the country and yet still have change left over;
6. Sponsor 1,750 PhD candidates in Australia for four years (at A$200,000 for four years);
7. Educate 140,000 adults in adult literacy programme; and ,
8. Expand university enrolments to 17,500 students at K10,000 per student over the next four years.
Are we running out of ideas to utilise K700 million that we should resort to theft?

Reuben M. Daniel
Lae

Journey to Paradise

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