Treasurer blamed over late budget

THE New Ireland government says Kavieng MP and Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey has no one to blame but himself for this year’s provincial budget being late.
Deputy governor Sammy Missen said Ling-Stuckey’s shifting the blame to the New Ireland government was a poor excuse.
He told The National that Ling-Stuckey was MP for Kavieng and it was his responsibility to also “foot the bill.”
“Since his entry into office he has not even delivered one impact project for the entire Kavieng district, all he does is hand out lolly projects to his supporters,” Missen said.
“Our budget is for all New Ireland and now it cannot be implemented.
“He has K10 million in DSIP funds and recently illegally grabbed several millions in payments of Lihir royalties along with his fellow National Alliance Party partner in crime Walter Schnaubelt.”
Missen said Ling-Stuckey should have purchased two new generators as MP for Kavieng and had never acquitted for millions in funding while he was New Ireland governor from 2002 to 2007.”
Missen said this in response to a statement released by Ling-Stuckey which claimed that the New Ireland provincial government had neglected the people of Kavieng by failing to purchase two new generators to supply power to Kavieng town residents and the Tikana local level government area.
Ling-Stuckey said Governor Sir Julius Chan needed to use the K200 million-plus annual provincial budget to pay for two new gensets.