Party planning for economy recovery, says O’Neill

The National Main Stories

By LULU MARK
THE People’s National Congress party is going into this year’s general election with plans to rescue the nation from the economic turmoil it is in, says Ialibu MP Peter O’Neill.
“Today, we are faced with constant corruption, especially in the procurement of massive roads contracts under the disguise of the (Coronavirus) Covid-19 using the Pandemic Act to award contracts to themselves and their cronies,” he said.
“Public service delivery is now so politically-corrupted that it is not delivering.
“Health, education, and public service do not exist in many parts of the country.
“We are falling way behind the rest of the world and something different and drastic needs to be done.”
The party began its national convention in Port Moresby yesterday.
O’Neill said the country, in the past three years, had been trapped and held back by a “confused, corrupt, and incompetent government”.
In the next five years, the party plans to:

  • CREATE 500,000 jobs;
  • RESTORE confidence and certainty to people and businesses;
  • FAST-track the Porgera reopening and accelerate Wafi-Golpu, Papua LNG and P’Ynang projects;
  • REDUCE personal income tax to help families;
  • REDUCE company tax to stimulate jobs and investments;
  • INVEST K1 billion per annum to fund the upgrade of hospitals and health and education facilities;
  • LIGHT-up PNG by fast-tracking K5.6 billion Apec PNG electrification partnership;
  • RESTART our Public Economic Infrastructure Investment Programme;
  • ESTABLISH a State Bank by 2023 for SMEs, farmers and homeowners;
  • INVEST K600 million per annum in mega industrial projects;
  • INTRODUCE housing-for-all initiative;
  • REDUCE public loans to 35 per cent of GDP;
  • RESET the public service and political structure before 2025; and,
  • FUNDING the operations of Independent Commission Against Corruption with an initial K25 million.