Time to reflect: Polye

National

OPPOSITION Leader Don Polye says PNG needs to learn from the past, analyse the present and decide for the future.
“This day, 41 years ago, our founding fathers charted a new destiny for this nation,” Polye said in a statement on the eve of the nation’s 41st independence anniversary.
“We are a nation with a thousand tribes and over 800 languages, yet we remain united.
“No other country parallels this achievement.” Polye said people should  demonstrate that they were capable of managing their own affairs.
“It’s time now to take stock of how we, as a nation, have come this far and plan for the next 41 years,” he said.
“We must admit that we have made mistakes and take steps to correct them.
“As leaders of this nation, we must admit our failures and learn from them to provide a better government for our people.
“I must say that successive governments have mismanaged our nation’s resources. We have the biggest economy and we are the envy of many nations, yet these huge revenue returns do not reflect in our rural areas.
“Despite having a number of mines and oil fields apart from revenue from agricultural and fishery sectors, this has failed to turn the country around.
“Our problems have been our leaders’ failure to manage our resources for the benefit of our people.
“Now is the time to admit our mistakes, learn from them and charter a way forward for our country.
“Our people deserve better and we must live up to their expectations.
“We must weed our all forms of corruption within the government system.
“We must provide that better government that will lead the country in the next 41 years.”