Party plans to create jobs, business opportunities

By REBECCA KUKU
THE People’s National Congress (PNC) plans to build an economy that creates opportunities for businesses and jobs for the people, says party leader Peter O’Neill.
Closing the party’s national convention in Port Moresby last week, he said PNG was a great resourceful country with world-class assets.
And if the PNC forms the next government which it seeks to, the party “will stop overspending on non-priority expenditures and restore a balanced budget by 2027”.
“We will stop uneconomical borrowings and reduce the debt-to-gross domestic product (ratio) from 60 per cent back to 35 per cent of GDP,” he said.
“We will set zero tax income for up to K30,000 per year.
“(We) will reduce corporate tax from 30 per cent to 25 per cent for non-mining and petroleum companies to boost investment and jobs.
“Our top priority is to create at least 500,000 jobs over the next five years.
“We want our people to have reliable jobs that will give them enough income to look after their families.
“We want them to have fair pay for fair work with better training and working conditions.”
O’Neill, who was the prime minister from 2012 to May 2019, said the party would deliver genuine economic benefits to the people, especially in rural and remote communities.
O’Neill said the country needed to achieve “genuine equality for our women”.
“PNC will commit to legislative changes to ensure full participation of women at all levels of our society including politics.”
It also aims to rebuild trust between the people and law enforcement agencies.
He added that they would “stop student loans that are dragging our young to a loan trap and introduce the national scholarship again and will ensure all education facilities have access to the internet.”