Marape’s courage to resign a sign of transparency and honesty

I commend James Marape’s courage to resign from the O’Neill-led government.
Marape, the Tari-Pori MP, had been a loyal Cabinet minister over the years.
I don’t know the reasons behind his resignation, but as far as I am concerned he made a decision that no contemporary politicians would do.
He is now seen as transparent, accountable, honest, people-centred and visionary.
I think Marape’s resignation has something to do with the current signing of the Papua LNG project.
It is like a coincidence when we recall Don Pomb Polye’s resignations in 2014.
Polye resigned because of the signing of the UBS loan and now Marape has resigned after the Papua LNG deal was signed with French company Total.
We can all reason out the logic behind this.
This country is abundantly blessed with natural resources yet our people still live in extreme poverty.
How will the PNG LNG project impact the lives of Papua New Guineans?
After six years in the making, the PNG LNG project is expected to boost Papua New Guinea’s economy by a massive 15 per cent in the first year of production.
Over the 30-year life of the project, the PNG LNG project will produce more than nine trillion cubic metres of gas, about 6.9 million tonnes per year.
How much income do we receive as the host of the giant liquefied natural gas resource?
The total projected income from the project is US$31 billion. One-third is expected to remain in PNG, the vast majority of which would come in the form of tax revenue, dividends, royalties and infrastructure tax credits to the national Government, provincial governments and landowners. Around 10 per cent will be paid as operational costs.
The sad story is that there will not be any funds coming in because when the gas starts to flow, the money coming in will be diverted to paying off the K3 billion debt, UBS loan, and therefore no money will go into the sovereign wealth fund.
The government must think about the future generations of this country and not exploit all the resources we have.
I thank James Marape for being a true leader and for taking the bold stand to resign after knowing that our country is being mismanaged by few power-hungry and self-centred politicians.
You a true son of Hela.

Nason Mul Solo

l ALLOW me to express my view on Tari Pori MP and Finance Minister James Marape’s resignation, based on lost trust.
PNG is a not a country where citizens follow the decision of one person or group.
Leaders representing certain parts of this country have to be involved in the decision-making process and the sharing of ideas and views.
I became emotional when I read Marape’s reasons for his resignation: “I am not in Cabinet for its comforts but to contribute to national development.”
This is the true definition of a leader.
When something is wrong you should not pretend that everything is fine.
I salute James Marape for his bold move to resign. He has opened the eyes of many politicians and citizen and shown that something is wrong in government.
Our open members of parliament and governors are there to contribute to national development and not sit back, be comfortable and enjoy the good things that come with the job.
If a senior Cabinet minister like James Marape resigns then there is something wrong with our current government.
Let’s stand up for what is right instead of pretending everything is right.

Newman & Danny
University of Goroka