Last year’s Budget took big hit from election: Abel

By HELEN TARAWA
One of the major issues affecting the 2017 Budget was the general election, says Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer Charles Abel.
Speaking at the launching of the 2016-2017 Open Budget Survey Report and Index on Wednesday, Abel admitted that things were “a little bit unsettled” last year.
He assured that more efforts would be put into complying with the open budget criteria in 2018 and 2019.
“I want to appreciate people who are driving those initiatives globally to increase openness, transparency and accountability,” Abel said.
“PNG wants to be part of that process. The finances that our Government deal with belong to the people of PNG.
“We are appropriating that money on their behalf. As much as possible, we want to make sure that the process is robust and accountable.”
Abel acknowledged the Institute of National Affairs for supervising the process in PNG.
INA director Paul Barker said they were undertaking this survey on behalf of the independent budget partnership in PNG.
He said the open budget survey had commenced in 2006.
Barker said it was the only independent comparative and regular measure of budget transparency and accountability around the world.
It is undertaken independently by researchers and reviewers and has now expanded to 115 countries.“
“PNG has been participating right from the beginning,” Barker said.