Source: Govt to table Supplementary Budget

By JEFFREY ELAPA
THE Government is expected to table a Supplementary Budget today to address its current economic situation by readjusting its books, a source close to the Government says.
Yesterday, the National Executive Council held a special meeting to discuss the Supplementary Budget, in particular to look at “the picture” of the national economy.
The source declined to disclose the total supplementary budget figure but said it had to be drawn up in light of the economic downturn, “the worse since Independence”.
Prime Minister James Marape had alluded to such a move by the Government last week to readjust its financial roadmap up to the tabling of the 2020 national budget in November.
Marape admitted that the country was facing serious problems, with new Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey finding it difficult to deal with the “numbers” he had been provided.
Recently, Kandrian Gloucester MP Joseph Lelang questioned what nominal gross domestic product numbers would be used to draw up the Supplementary Budget because Treasury had not used the figures provided by the National Statistical Office.
Ling-Stuckey replied that he would use the most appropriate figures.
But Government sources said even he was finding it difficult to deal with the numbers.
“The Treasurer is crunching the numbers as there is a lack of support from the Department of Treasury and its officers,” the source said.
Marape said the decision to appoint Ling-Stuckey Treasurer was to assist in drawing up the Supplementary Budget to tidy up the books for 2019 and take the country to 2020.
Meanwhile, former prime minister Sir Mekere Morauta said he was joining the Government from the Opposition to assist in its economic recovery plan.