Peter O'Neill

Prime Minister and member for Ialibu Pangia, Peter O’Neill has accepted the invitation of the people of Kunukumbe to officiate at this weekend’s ceremony.

Councillor for Piambil 1 Lepi Koiaye has thanked Southern Highlands Governor William Powi and his provincial government for funding the construction of this road.

Polye made the call today at a media conference in Port Moresby. He said the recent acquisition of the controversial land deal by two senior ministers and other departmental heads have proven that the country was not financially broke.

"How could you say the country is facing cash flow problem when millions of Kina have been used by ministers in  illegal and corrupt ways?" Polye asked.

He said O'Neill must be transparent in decisions and not 'passing buck' to ministers.

In a statement, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said more than K6 billion is invested each year to improve healthcare.

“While we still have a lot of work to do, universal healthcare is becoming a reality around Papua New Guinea,” stated the PM.

“The amount of money a person has in their pocket should not determine if they can see a doctor or receive healthcare.

“Over the past five years, working with our partners, including churches, we have expanded medical services to remote areas and rebuilt hospitals.

Portion 406 in Manumanu was acquired at a cost of K46m by Kumul Consolidated Holdings (KCH) for the PNG Defence Force barracks relocation.

Cabinet made a decision in 2012 to relocate these Defence facilities to a suitable site.

O’Neill said the reports will assist with investigations by the Commission of Inquiry (COI), the Police Fraud Squad and the Ombudsman Commission.

The COI will be established to examine the allegations involved in the Manumanu land deal against senior ministers and senior members of departments.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill made the announcement today following full examination of briefs provided by Government agencies involving the land deal in Central Province.

O’Neill said it is in the public interest that he has decided to establish the COI to investigate allegations levelled against senior ministers and senior members of departments.

The matter has also been referred to the Police Commissioner for the Fraud Squad to carry out its own investigation.

The Ombudsman Commission will also carry out their own investigations for leadership code breaches.

This was announced today by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill in a media conference.

The COI will be set up to investigate allegations that have been leveled against some senior Ministers of the Government and senior members of government departments.

This follows a full examination of the breach that was provided to the Prime Minister by government agencies that were involved in the Manumanu land deal in the Central Province.

“We did not increase taxes and we did not cut core services,” Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said during last week’s 2017 Prime Minister’s Back-to-Business Breakfast.

“Our Government was proactive in cutting waste in the public service, and we put some non-priority infrastructure projects on hold.

“These pressures all occurred at a time when our country was facing one of the worst drought in recent memory.”

O’Neill said this affected food supplies in communities vulnerable to extreme weather. The situation was further worsened by climate change.

In his speech during the 2017 Back-to-Business-Breakfast in Port Moresby on Friday, O’Neill said the Government has sought to provide a strong level playing field for business.

This is through fiscal policies that are transparent and sound.

“Very importantly, tax positions have not changed over the past five years.

“The outcome we have sought – is to ensure certainty and stability for the business community.

“Business do not need uncertainty in taxation laws and government regulation. We are maintaining this certainty,” said O’Neill.

The landowners met with the Opposition on Thursday and raised their concerns.

Landowner and Chairman of the Gabadi village pressure group, John Ovia asked the Opposition to step in, to help reclaim the land which Defence Minister, Fabian Pok and State Enterprise Minister, William Duma are both being implicated.

The land in question is portion 406, 411, 415, 422, 423 and 154.

Ovia and fellow landowners have called on outsiders involved in the land deal to free up their land.

He said failure by the Prime Minister to impose tougher disciplinary actions against the two ministers goes to expose O’Neill’s failure to fight corruption among his cabinet members.

“Let me remind the PM that Papua New Guineans are intelligent and they are watching and judging every step of the government,” Polye said.

The private purchase of the land valued at K46.6 million by Kumul Consolidated Holdings b onehalf of the State on a the company in question with links to a senior cabinet minister had been the hot question in the second week of Parliament sitting.