Namah says Govt plans lack delivery

OPPOSITION Leader Belden Namah has criticised the Government’s launching of plans and not enough opening of completed projects.
Namah made the remarks after the launch of the national fisheries strategic plan last Wednesday.
“The people of Papua New Guinea do not need to know the details of the plan, our people only need the outcomes of plans delivered,” he said.
“We are seeing too much of plans being launched by this prime minister and too little of the plans actually bearing tangible results.
“Perhaps, I am mistaken.
“Perhaps, the prime minister can correct me by listing all the impact projects he has initiated and completed in his two years in office.
“This Government has been bad for business in the country.
“Exploration activities in the extractive sector has stopped and no new money is coming into the country from foreign direct investment.
“Our people are not fools.
“The shoddy report by the treasurer to Parliament on the Coronavirus (Covid-19) stimulus package and associated grants from donors and borrowings explained nothing.
“For the first time, we hear of something called ‘budget support’ which accounted for K5.7 billion and only K500 million which the treasurer could provide a list for detailing cost items.
“Parliament never approved a budget support package, only a Covid-19 stimulus package.”
Namah said there were two major reasons for PNG’s economic hardships at present – the Covid-19-induced global economic depression and Prime Minister James Marape’s words and actions.
“One cannot blame the loss of 7,000 jobs in the forestry sector and the closure of 14 forestry companies on the Covid-19,” he said.
“They were the direct result of the insane increase in export tax from 35 to 59 per cent.”