Government

Health Department workers were still locked outside their Waigani office this morning when this newsroom visited them.

Despite the dull day, Health Department staff still went to work but only to find out again that their offices were still locked.

They arrived at work at 8am and sat outside the entrance of the Department office, with hopes that a senior officer will inform them whether the office was going to be reopened or not.

Some had personal items still in the office and were concerned.

The departments of lands and health have no office to operate in after being closed up by landlords last week.

Abel said the Government is responding and will sort out the rentals sometime this week.

“There’s a range of outstanding issues that need to be tidied up over the coming weeks, which are challenges the Government needs to solve.”

Meanwhile, he said the Government will tidy up all its books before the close of accounts today (Monday) at 4:06pm.

“I am going to do a good tidy of all books.

The government of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare is facing a vote of no confidence in parliament next week, after a series of defections from the government.

Mr Sogavare on Thursday announced moves to consolidate his coalition government, announcing eight new ministers.

But in a statement, the opposition group said that consolidation had included attempts at bribery.

It accuses the forestry minister Bradley Tovosia of trying to bribe MP Alfred Ghiro with cash and the fisheries portfolio, which he rejected.

Sonia Backes of the Caledonian Republicans suggested that the rival anti-independence groups in Congress choose another presidential candidate than Philippe Germain, given his repeated rejection.

Mr Germain has failed twice in two months to secure a majority among the 11 ministers making up the government when they met to elect a president.

Ms Backes said a more conciliatory person needs to be presented as a candidate, suggesting another minister Bernard Deladriere.

She said furthermore there have to be changes to the government's economic policies.

“I think the Government has finally got it right because in the last 30 years, we have been investing in mining and LNG but nothing was happening.    

“I thank this Government for putting agriculture as number one economic priority,” Dr Vele said.

Dr Vele revealed that in the Alotau Accord II, the Government prioritised agriculture, tourism and infrastructure compared to the previous term where the Government placed emphasis on education, health and infrastructure. 

He said the current tax regime is very hostile to Papua New Guineans and genuine investors with PNG’s tax rates currently the highest in the Pacific.

Juffa claimed that a significant portion of illegal and semi illegal businesses are earning profits, especially in the forestry and fisheries sectors as well as property and other poorly regulated businesses.

He added that such illegal entities are avoiding taxes and getting away with it, leaving the shortfall to be met by genuine investors like PNG SMEs and PNG wage earners.

They were sworn in by Governor-General Bob Dadae around 4pm.

The table contains the names of Ministers with their portfolios:

Party leaders and representatives from the former opposition parties/ranks together with the National Alliance Party are happy to join forces again.

They acknowledged that the collective experience of the various groups and positive influences that come with it will bolster nationwide support for a change in government to arrest and stabilize our spiraling economic downfall and ever-declining social ills.

“The decision has been expected for some time, and the party continuing in the Government would have been hypocritical considering recent outbursts by some members,” the Prime Minister said.

“We thank them for their support over the past five years and their commitment to the policies and economic decisions of the Government.

“The policies of the PNC-led Government are the policies that NA members voted for and supported in Parliament.

Somare was quoted in Loop PNG claiming that “The plight of the Gulf people's LNG benefit is not the work of the government.”

However, he said Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s Government has continuously breached the PNG LNG Projects’ 2009 UBSA and LBBSAs and has failed to deliver the entitlements and rights of the Beneficiary Group Landowners as secured in the UBSA Benefits Package by impacted landowners and provincial governments in May 2009.

“Unlike any other provinces, Gulf Province has two LNG projects and potentially an absolutely fantastic prospect for the future.