Allan Bird

He told parliament today that he received calls from 5 companies – one of them has been operating in Lae in for 40 years, employs 230 Papua New Guineans – that they have not been able to access Forex, thus resulting in the company having to cut down on working hours for their employees.

“They have K16 million in the bank, they need to pay their foreign suppliers K12 million. I am being told that there is K3 billion in orders sitting in there at all the banks,” said Bird.

In a media conference yesterday with the Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer Charles Abel, the Governors said the plan is achievable and can be implemented in a coercive manner.

Bird said Abel’s idea in gauging the views of governors on certain issues in the province is good for the governance of the country.

He said governors have a clear view of what’s happening in the province and can articulate better on issues.

With the 100-Day Economic Stimulus Plan, Bird said although provinces have issues, many of them have never been given consideration.

Since the alleged airport kidnap of another candidate, where Bird was caught in the middle, he says he will not get involved in anything else that takes place in Port Moresby unless it concerns the people of East Sepik.

Bird has his sight set on building provincial capacity so as to protect his people’s future from potentially poor financial and investment decisions of the government.

He says while he understands that the devaluation of kina is unavoidable, he is sure that an O’Neill-led government will not support his ideas at the national level.

This is the only seat yet to find a winner in the 2017 National Election for East Sepik Province.  

According to reports from Wewak, elimination started last night.    

The progressive top five candidates following completion of primary counts; 

He said he had collected the highest number of votes in Wosera-Gawi, Ambunti-Dreikikir and Wewak for obvious reasons, and that is his home and where he has invested time and resources over 25 years of living and working in the province.

Bird, a member of the National Alliance party, is currently leading the progressive tally in the East Sepik regional seat, and has collected more than 60 thousand votes to date.

He said he will study the basis of the allegations levelled against him, and if there are any defamatory statements, he will sue his accusers for defamation.