Opposition Leader

Pruaitch in a statement said the aftermath of the disaster has seen ongoing clan fighting, chaos, law and order issues in Hela and Southern Highlands provinces.

Pruaitch raised this concern as the Government’s report was due nine weeks ago.

He said the Government is yet to provide a clear account of the extent of damages and devastation and future plans for the people affected.

Pruaitch said if the Ombudsman had not investigated a 10-year Build-Operate-Lease-Transfer (BOLT) agreement, the National Government would have agreed to pay K981.79 million annually for Government accommodation it planned to build.

Pruaitch claimed that the annual lease payment would have been more than four times the total current office rental paid by Government if the negotiation had gone through.

He said the landowners have to get their facts right and deal with land boundaries and clan vetting exercise before the Government can release the royalty payment.

Abel added that the Government is still committed in releasing the funding that was rightfully belong to the people and will not hold back if everything is in order.

The Deputy Prime Minister was responding to questions from the Opposition leader, Patrick Pruaitch on Wednesday.

“When will the Government fulfill its commitment in releasing the royalty payment to the landowners?

When announcing the shadow cabinet, Opposition Leader Patrick Pruaitch said Masiu, 53, has a solid background in community socio-economic development issues and is destined to play a key role in Parliament as Deputy Opposition Leader.

Masiu, who entered Parliament after a by-election in July 2016 and regained his seat in the recent general election, spent his early career as a journalist and broadcaster prior to taking on key advisory roles in government.

Pruaitch says he stood by his earlier statement that it is in the national interest for locally produced resources such as crude oil, copper, gold, fishery and forest products, to be sold to local purchasers in PNG’s national currency, the Kina.

Pruaitch believes it is an infringement of our sovereignty for lenders, or any other entity, to insist that domestic resources have to be paid for in US dollars or other foreign currencies, even when sold to PNG buyers.

Such arrangements add to the cost of doing business and hamper efforts to encourage domestic processing.

Opposition Leader, Patrick Pruaitch in a statement said Basil’s decision surprised leaders within the Alliance although the public received early warning through media reports that a crossover was about to happen.

“A formal announcement was delayed allowing for negotiations on the ‘30 pieces of silver’ needed to entice 12 Pangu Pati members across to Government, rather than the initial nine or 10 MPs,” he said.

Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill, currently has 73 MPs in the ruling coalition, giving him the ability to dominate Parliament and to bulldoze through any legislation.

He expressed disappointment at the pace at which counting has been conducted so far for the Kandep Open seat at the Wabag counting centre.

With just 13 ballot boxes remaining for counting, he said counting should be expedited, adding a winner should have been declared by now.

He wants the Electoral Commission to appoint a new set of neutral counting officials to carry on counting from the remaining 13 ballot boxes.

THE party parliamentary leader made this statement in Vanimo on Friday, when launching election campaigns for his party’s endorsed candidates contesting for seats in Sandaun Province.

Polye said under the policy, it will be compulsory for all school age children to be in the classroom.

He said subsidising of school fees will continue, and more emphasis will be placed on improving the quality of education in the country.

"We must provide quality education for our children so that they must be skilled appropriately to earn a living,” Polye said.

Speaking to journalists at the Triumph Heritage Empowerment (T.H.E) Party National Convention, Polye said it is even more shocking that this was allowed by Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill.

“If Prime Minister Turnbull is encouraging that kind of attitude, Prime Minister Turnbull needs to tell the world that he is like that.

“How can he not allow Papua New Guinea media. If he has no confidence in the Papua New Guinea media, then don’t come to Papua New Guinea,” Polye said.