Elections are adequately funded: O’Neill

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has maintained that the 2017 National Election had been adequately funded.

He was responding to a statement by Treasury Minister and National Alliance Party parliamentary leader Patrick Pruaitch.

Minister Pruaitch said the ability for police to secure a free and fair election is now being compromised with inadequate funding.  

Pruaitch said, he was shocked to learn last Friday during a meeting with Police Commissioner Gari Baki that the police force had only received K8 million of its K121 million budget allocation for election operations.

“That’s just rubbish,” Prime Minister O’Neill told Loop PNG.    

“There was a press conference yesterday (Tuesday) with all the agencies involved in the elections.

“This is the rubbish he gets from private meetings at coffee shops, rather than working through official channels.

“The election is funded well and we will see him there.”

 Meanwhile, Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato in a media conference on Tuesday said PNGEC has spent K43.5 million to date on this year’s election.

He added that K56 million is secured in a trust account. 

 

Author: 
Charles Yapumi