Gamato: Bring on 2017 polls

ELECTORAL Commissioner Patilias Gamato says the PNG Electoral Commission is ready to conduct the 2017 general elections.
He said this at the weekend when giving a forecast of the election.
“The budget for this year’s election is K400 million,” Gamato told The National.
“Out of the K400 million, K121 million is for the security operation which the three disciplined forces will be planning and executing.
“We will be executing the balance of the budget, which is K279 million.
“In our estimates, logistics alone will pick up about K127 million – logistics to move the materials, the teams to the remote parts of the country.
“That includes aircraft, boats, outboard motors and helicopters to move materials and officials to the polling places.
“The second highest cost is the temporary election workers, which is about K60 million.
“We will be engaging 35,000 to 40,000 public servants in the provinces, districts and LLGs to assist us conduct the election.
“The big-ticket items should cost about K20 million.
“The ballot papers will be about K6.6 million.
“We also have outstanding bills, but the Government has assisted us, especially for legal claims.
“The department of justice and attorney-general has vetted the claims and brought them down.
“Department of Finance will assist us to pay some of those outstanding legal claims, once they are vetted.”
Gamato said all plans were in place to conduct the election.
‘We have completed our national logistics and procurement management process,” he said.