Kerenga Kua

PNG National Party Leader and Member for Sinasina-Yongomugl, Kerenga Kua, dismissed the views expressed last month by the Bank of PNG Governor, Loi Bakani, that political candidates should refrain from commenting on the economy.

“Freedom of expression is a Constitutional right and the performance of the economy remains of paramount concern to the people of Papua New Guinea and for my Party,” Kua said.  

“This, together with the performance of the Government and indeed of the Bank of Papua New Guinea, occupies a central position in the election debates.

Governor-General Bob Dadae will sign the 111 writs on April 20 to start the candidate nomination period.   

“Grand Chief’s blessing is with the PNG National Party,” said Kerenga Kua, party parliamentary leader.  

“Other people will claim the same rights, but I want to tell you, I have been with him for 15-20 years, and I have been very close to his heart, and his heart is with the PNG National Party.

“When he does something he does not do it lightly, he is a man who does everything after careful thought and consideration and that picture up there means something.”

“He will not be responsible for an electorate but he will be on the floor of parliament to be a mentor to all of us,” said Kerenga Kua, National Party parliamentary leader.         

Sir Michael, who is Papua New Guinea’s first prime minister, retired from active politics after 49 consecutive years of serving his East Sepik people.      

“I want to pay tribute to him, his wife, family and people of East Sepik for the wisdom of putting up this man,” Kua said.

This was the statement by the party parliamentary leader, Kerenga Kua, when addressing their convention on Friday.         

Kua said the country is losing out on billions of Kina annually because of the current law governing the mining and petroleum industry.

“Economy of the country is underpinned by petroleum and mining,” he said.

“The current law states that the State owns all the resources under the ground, so investors, when they come, ask for petroleum licence.

"PNG National Party is the only genuine alternative party to form the next government," parliamentary leader Kerenga Kua said.

Kua was speaking at the PNG National Party convention currently held in Port Moresby.

 He said 700 expression of interest was received from intending candidates wanting to contest for the 111 seats in the National Parliament.

Kua said the final 54 candidates were chosen after a comprehensive survey which started last year.

Member for Sinasina Yongomugl and former Attorney General, Kerenga Kua was concerned that although the government passed legislations two years ago to have councillors and village magistrates on a fortnightly salary, many have missed out.

He said councillors were like the government in the wards but many of them have not been paid in the last 6 months.

Papua New Guinea’s voting right in the UN was suspended due to non-payment of its membership fee of US$180,000 (K571,000).

"This government has been reckless and cannot hide anymore behind the excuse of commodity prices. When the previous government was thrown out illegally, our economy was buoyant despite the Great Financial Crisis that affected world economies in 2008,” Kua said.

"Therefore if the PNG UN Mission has used up its operating costs, it also means the Government has been reckless in not funding operating costs forcing the Mission to divert funds.

The compulsory acquisition which was raised on the floor of Parliament on Friday 27 January has been called nothing more than a Government land grabbing exercise by community leaders and other interested parties.

In his statement Iduhu said if all customary landowners were never alerted nor consulted then the land was acquired in breach of the Land Act 1996.

However, Kua said: "The O'Neill Government has steadily gnawed away at the rights of ordinary citizens, preying on those who live in rural areas with limited access to communications and only basic information.

Kua, a former Attorney General challenged the Gamato to set the parameters for the administration and supervision of the entire process of the General Elections.

He called on Gamato to confirm that the Governor-General's invitation to the political party with the most winning seats to form government will be extrapolated from the nomination forms and not from Form 29 of the Electoral Commission.

Namah made the call last night after the Opposition stormed out of the chamber in protest against the passing of the 2017 Budget.

“Those Members of Parliament who participated in the passage of the budget have also committed a fraud,” Namah said.

The Opposition says the Budget  was bulldozed through by the Government using its numerical strength was indeed not a Bill as the figures do not correspond.

The Appropriation Bill reads as over “K21 billion kina signed by the first legislative council” while the Treasurer’s speech confirmed  the figure to be K12.9 billion.