PNG Party raises K2.7 million

By ELLEN TIAMU
THE PNG Party raised K2.7 million at its fundraising dinner held at the Lae International Hotel in Lae on Saturday night.
Paying guests came from outside provinces to show their support for the party and government, which they said was showing leadership promise and realising dreams of all Papua New Guineans.
The highest pledge came from Koroba-Lake Kopiago MP John Kekeno who pledged the amount on behalf of his people.
Deputy Prime Minister and party leader Belden Namah said the party stood for the 1,200 tribes and not just a few.
He said the PNG Party believed in an educated and healthy population.
He said with the abundance of natural resources, Papua New Guinea could be transformed to better countries like oil-rich Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, and Singapore.
“The answer to PNG’s backwardness lies in bad political leadership and corruption in the past,” he said.
Namah said there were too many small political parties and the PDM should consider joining the PNG Party.
Police Minister John Boito, Inter-Government Relations Minister Mark Maipakai, Health Minister Jamie Maxtone-Graham, Lae MP and Public Service Minister Bart Philemon and deputy party leader Sam Basil attended. 
Political support at the fundraiser came from Tewae-Siassi MP Vincent Michaels, Maprik MP Gabriel Kapris, Markham MP Koni Iguan and Kundiawa MP Tobias Kulang.
Namah said he was humbled by the huge contributions from Lae-based companies which totalled about K400,000.