Govt spends too much on law, order

THE Government spends up to 20 per cent of its annual budget on law and order issues in the country because people are not changing, Prime Minister James Marape says.
Marape said a fifth of the national budget was a lot of money and this amount could be reduced if citizens changed their attitude regarding law and order.
He said the country needed to have a strong law and justice sector as this would ensure stability and encourage more investment.
Marape said people needed to take ownership of law and order in their communities to maintain peace and encourage growth.
Enga Governor Sir Peter Ipatas called on the Government to give special attention to Enga’s law and order situation by bringing in the Australian Federal Police.
But Marape maintained that no matter what initiatives or measures by Government, this would not change or improve unless the people themselves changed and made an effort to live better lives.
“If this budget is not wasted on fixing problems and addressing law and order then we could have to look at the schools, health centres and other infrastructure developments,” he said.
“Law and order is becoming a serious problem in the country.”