Prioritise to serve

PAPUA New Guinea is rich in terms of natural resources as indicated by the constantly increasing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), among countless other economic indicators in the extractive industry.
However it is unfortunate that the economy is further deteriorating as manifested in the unbearable severe economic adversities that’s posing inability to simple Papua New Guineans to survive on a daily basis, such as the constantly skyrocketing prices of goods and services.
The revenues that are being derived from the extraction and exportation of our natural resources are not translated into tangible basic services to alleviate poverty.
Papua New Guineans are dying of curable diseases. Our university graduates are still searching for jobs.
The bulk of the rural population are walking long distances in thundery downpour, climbing mountains and crossing rivers just to access basic services. Amid this, members of parliament are lost in the Waigani jungle, driving flashy cars, sleeping in luxurious hotels and neglecting their primary responsibility and constitutional obligations.
I welcome the Government’s intention to restructure the Mining and Petroleum laws to maximise benefit.
It is a decisive and bold stance to review existing benefit sharing agreement with the developer of the Papua LNG project.
My message to all politicians and senior bureaucrats is to refrain from further conspiring to defraud and misapply public monies.
The wheels of justice is naturally taking its course for the simple unfortunate majority.
Prioritise to serve the people whom you represent in parliament.

Itege Fito