Shadow Minister for Treasury and Finance

Shadow Minister for Treasury and Finance, Ian Ling-Stuckey, in a statement said last year the O'Neill government, lacking the usual transparency, did not allow proper debate on the 2017 budget.

"We stand ready to judge the success of the 2018 budget and urge government to give the Opposition opportunity to measure its merits.

"Government should not trivialise the most important of this annual policy statement by rushing it through because a budget translates policies into concrete actions by providing resources.

Ling-Stucky who is a  member of the National Alliance Party said that the National Alliance Party during 2003-2012, had a proud record of high rates of growth in those parts of the economy that affect most people in PNG.

He said with limited statistics, the best measure of inclusive income growth is real non-resource GDP per capita growth rates.

“This is a true measure of economic incomes and welfare in PNG. This measure excludes the effects of the resource sector which benefits few directly, removes the effect of inflation, and allows for population growth.