PM: Ferry disaster will cost tens of millions

By ISAAC NICHOLAS
THE sinking of the ferry mv Rabaul Queen will cost the country tens of millions of kina, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said yesterday.
O’Neill, who released K8 million when he spoke to survivors and families of the missing passengers in Lae on Wednesday, said these funds were for the immediate rehabilitation and repatriation of the survivors and extending the search, rescue and recovery programme.
However, extending the search and recovery operation by another seven days, holding an independent inquiry into the disaster and carrying out a salvage operation would add millions of kina to the bill.
He said yesterday’s commentary which ran on The National’s front page headlined “K8mil shame” was “unnecessary and based on personal opinion rather than facts”.
 “The state is already paying for the costs of major disasters in the country and state expenses into the shipping disaster will run into millions of kina.
“The report in The National is really unnecessary at this time of great loss and pain by the survivors and relatives of those still missing at sea,” O’Neill said.
O’Neill said the government would ensure the interests and welfare of its citizens were
taken care of in disasters, education, health care or transport infrastructure.
During his visit to Lae, the prime minister presented a K3 million cheque to the Morobe disaster committee to facilitate the extension of the search, rescue and recovery programme and the immediate rehabilitation of the victims to their homes.
The money will also be used to assist students affected by the ferry sinking to travel to their respective schools.
“This K3 million is a portion of the K8 million allocated by the government to assist victims of this tragedy.
“The balance of K5 million will be made available next week and will be used for the extension of the search,” O’Neill said
The prime minister said the independent inquiry would he headed by retired judge Warwick Andrews. Queen’s counsel Mars Varitimos will also be on the panel.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The National’s lead story in yesterday’s front page contained an inappropriate and inaccurate headline on a commentary piece which attempted to compare the government’s spending in relation to various recent disasters. This may have caused concern to people struggling to come to terms with the ferry disaster. This is regretted.