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PAPUA NEW GUINEA OBSERVER

by former Prime Minister
MEKERE MORAUTA KCMG

Reply to Malabag

Reply to Malabag

Sir Mekere Morauta today responded to twisted statements made by the sitting Member for Moresby North-West and Minister for Health at a rally in Port Moresby last weekend. “Michael Malabag, are you deaf and blind? For the fourth time of correcting you, your Prime Minister and the Prime Minister’s Office, here are the simple facts of PNGSDP: “PNGSDP is a private company, not a government department, government institution or state-owned enterprise. “It follows therefore that I

The truth about the latest credit rating report

The truth about the latest credit rating report

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s latest spin on the economy, in relation to this month’s Moody’s Investors Services credit rating for Papua New Guinea, is complete nonsense. It bears no resemblance to the reality of what the credit rating agency actually said, and has rightly been rubbished by social media. Moody’s in fact is highly critical of the economy and government finances, reflecting Mr O’Neill’s five years of corruption, waste and mismanagement, and enumerates a number

O'Neill spending cuts to cripple health care

O'Neill spending cuts to cripple health care

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill is planning to cut the health budget by a further 30 percent over the next few years, further crippling the nation’s health services. By 2021, health spending will have been slashed by two-thirds from K220 per person in the 2015 Budget to K77. “Mr O’Neill’s cuts are the reason why Papua New Guineans are dying from preventable diseases in their thousands, mothers and babies are dying in their thousands at childbirth, and our bubus are dying in thei

Health crisis to get worse

Health crisis to get worse

Former Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta fears a worsening of the nation’s health care crisis this year following more savage cuts to the sector in the 2017 budget. “Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has slashed health spending for the past three years, despite promises that he would protect it and other essential services from his cuts,” Sir Mekere said. “We have now reached the point where his corruption, waste and mismanagement threaten to bring the entire health system crashin

Bakani compromises Bank of PNG

Bakani compromises Bank of PNG

Former Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta said today people and politicians should ignore calls by the Governor of the Bank of Papua New Guinea, Mr Loi Bakani, not to discuss the economy during the election campaign. “This is an outrageous statement,” Sir Mekere said. “We live in a democracy – members of the public and political candidates have every right to question the state of our economy and public finances. “The stagnation of the economy, job losses, the foreign currency

Baki must resign

Baki must resign

Former Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta said today the Police Commissioner, Mr Gary Baki, must resign forthwith or be dismissed by the Prime Minister. It is impossible for a Police Commissioner to remain in office after organizing and conducting an illegal operation involving foreign mercenaries. “His is a Constitutional Office,” Sir Mekere said. “The holder of such offices must be beyond reproach, and Mr Baki does not fit into that category. He must go.” Sir Mekere said the

Ombudsman Commission should investigate mercenary deal

Ombudsman Commission should investigate mercenary deal

Former Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta said today the Police Commissioner, Mr Gary Baki, should immediately suspend the use of foreign mercenaries, in the interest of public order and safety and until an independent investigation has been conducted into all aspects of his secret deal. The Ombudsman Commission should investigate the arrangements, including the financial and legal aspects, he said. “Mr Baki’s media statement on this scandal yesterday raises more questions tha

Sir Mekere asks PM to explain foreign security personnel

Sir Mekere asks PM to explain foreign security personnel

Former Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta expressed his concern today at social media pictures of heavily armed foreign mercenaries patrolling the streets of Port Moresby. He said it was clear that the public was very concerned about these men. “No-one knows who they are and what they are doing here,” he said. “The absence of any explanation from the Government is only serving to heighten concerns about these foreigners and why they are openly carrying high-powered weapons in

Sir Mekere challenges PM on corruption

Sir Mekere challenges PM on corruption

Former Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta said today he was shocked to hear that more than K1.5 billion was reported as stolen from or by Peter O’Neill’s Government last year. The estimate, by the head of the Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate, Chief Superintendent Matthew Damaru, was a wake-up call for the Prime Minister. “Mr O’Neill has been making a lot of sweet talk about fighting corruption, but corruption has been totally out of control while he has been Prime Ministe

Sir Mekere asks PM to answer questions on public debt and cash flow crises

Sir Mekere asks PM to answer questions on public debt and cash flow crises

Former Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta said today the Prime Minister must come clean on Government debt and its cash flows so Papua New Guineans can judge for themselves whether or not the nation is insolvent. “An examination of the 2017 Budget, and publicly available evidence of a cash flow crisis over the past few months, call into question the ability of the O’Neill Government to repay its mountain of debt and pay for its daily operations at the same time,” he said. “Mr

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