Fuel prices up, no Xmas cheer

Letters, Normal

I AM sad that I will not be able to take my family home for Christmas because of the high fuel prices. 
I live about four hours from Lae and the only mode of transport there is by sea or, if you can afford it, a helicopter.  
Five years ago, I could easily travel to my village on a 55hp banana boat at K50 per head one way. 
But the price has more than doubled to K110 per head.
There are four of us and that will cost us almost K900 for a return trip, excluding food and other expenses.
My salary over the last five years has only increased by 5% but the fuel prices have increased by more than 100%. 
I do not know when my children will be able to see my village again as we are now renting a block at Hunter in Lae. 
I hope this Christmas will bring us better news on how we may bring down the cost of fuel that we pump out of our grounds and yet pay prices comparable to Australia or the US where the average man like me earns 10 times more,
I wish all Papua New Guineans a Merry Christmas.– Geof Bofenuc Lae