Shadow Treasurer, Joseph Lelang has warned the Government to take heed of the warning from the Opposition in terms of the implementation of the 2022 National Budget.
Lelang when responding to the 2022 Money Plan delivered last week, said the 2022 Budget cannot be implemented because it is based on unrealistic and overly ambitious macroeconomic assumptions.
“Further, it has kept a substantial amount of funding within Waigani.
“This questions the transparency and the integrity of the 2022 Budget. Moreover, critical sectors like the economy, law and order and education and health are given lower priority compared to Administration and Miscellaneous.”
Lelang said although provinces hold a large share in the 2022 Budget, most have had their allocations reduced from this year’s level.
“The 2022 Budget is not in line with the Government’s MTFS that they announced to the Nation last year, in 2020.
“It is not too late for the Government to review and re-write the 2022 Budget to re-focus the Budget, remove the bad taxes and realign the budget to its original Medium- Term Fiscal Strategy (2019-2024).”
He stressed that the Opposition is prepared to sit in December to approve the revised 2022 Budget because it will not support the 2022 Budget in its current form.