No surprises in budget: Marape
By REBECCA KUKU
SEVEN districts will not be represented in Parliament when it passes the 2024 National Budget today.
According to Parliament, Kabwum, Madang, Kairuku, Maprik, Dei, Porgera-Paiela and Lagaip open seats remain vacant and only 111 MPs will be in attendance to pass the Budget.
Prime Minister James Marape says the National Budget will contain no surprises and would be people friendly.
“We will also be looking at the country’s revenue envelope to see how best Government can collect additional revenue without increases in taxes.
“So the budget will also focus on the economic sector.
“Petroleum, mining, as they will get a bit more support not in quantum but to complement our focus and in trying to find a balance between growing revenue and maintaining expenditure in key focus areas,” he said.
Marape said the Budget was also one of the avenues in which the Government used to create jobs, so Connect PNG programme which provided business for local companies and employed thousands of Papua New Guineans, would feature prominently in the 2024 Budget.
“The focus will be in line with Government policies on infrastructure, law and order and health and education,” he said.
Marape said the Budget would also feature infrastructure funding and support for the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
Last month, the Government passed a supplementary that allocated K771 million to the 2023 Budget, increasing it to K25.3 billion.
One thought on “No surprises in budget: Marape”
We want to see the government primarily involved in infrastructure (building and upgrading highways, roads & bridges). We also want to see them give priority to funding quality education. We don’t want to see thousands of teachers being paid when they are not teaching. Thankfully Dr. Uke Kombra took 5000 teachers off salary because they were not teaching. We can be very grateful for a top-of-the-line Education Secretary like Dr. Uke Kombra.
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