Sector losing money, govt losing taxes, says Sir Peter

MADANG businessman Sir Peter Barter is concerned that many people in the private sector will not be able to pay tax this year because of the state of emergency, which has decreased earning power and revenue.
Sir Peter told The National that while the Covid-19 was a threat, so was the economy.
What happens after the Covid-19 can be worse than the virus itself, he said.
“It is another reason the Government needs to consult with Barrick as we can’t afford the closure of Porgera or any other mine until we have alternative sources of revenue available,” Sir Peter said.
“Maybe the Government should be tracking the banning of logs, down-streaming of timber, agriculture, fishing and supporting the fledgling tourism industry.”
As the managing director of the Melanesian Tourist Services (MTS), Sir Peter said the tourist and travel industry were among the hardest hit by Covid-19 where hotels and airlines had been closed and many jobs lost.
“MTS is basically on shutdown mode,” he said.
“There are no tourists, we are concentrating at present on local PNG tourism plus trying to get the staff to take local leave instead of travelling back to Australia.
“This has been partially successful but at huge discounts.”
Sir Peter said for the past few years tourist arrival had decreased with the exception of cruise ship passengers and by excluding cruise ship passengers, MTS was down to around 1,000 tourists for 2020.”