Prime Minister Peter O’Neill says the government will take a hard line approach to collecting taxes from businesses as the country struggles with the downward trend in the economy.
He attributes the state of PNG’s economy to the drop in revenue for PNG with the decline in prices for oil, gold and copper.
He says although the government was anticipating growth for the economy, the hard times now mean the country will have to live within its means.
“But that does not mean our economy is not growing, in fact it was expected to grow well over 10 percent and it will continue to grow over the coming years,” O’Neill says.
He said that this was timely for PNG and the government because it meant priorities would have to be re-adjusted.
He also says this means the government must make sure the public service machinery must live within the budget that has been stipulated.
“We are working closely with Treasury, Customs and IRC in making sure we collect all our revenue that our government and people are owed. Those who have not been paying taxes, they must pay up,” says O’Neill.
He says the country’s population is increasing at a rate of 3 percent and that it demands more service and the government must deliver.