Parliament sitting

The main discussion for the session will be on the 2018 National Budget and other bills like the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) bill. 

The 2018 National Budget will be the main agenda of discussion as the country is currently facing economic crisis due to low commodity prices in the world market.

Many critics have described the country’s economy as aligned by PNG’s public debt levels, which have been exploding. 

Critics described the actual size of the increase as three-fold - from K8.4 billion in 2012 to at least K23.9 billion in 2017.

Stop work at UPNG medical school

Academics at the University of Papua New Guinea School of Medicine and Health Sciences have voted to stop work today.

http://www.looppng.com/png-news/stop-work-upng-medical-school-50743

Parliament resumes today

Parliament will resume today at 2pm for its January session.

This is one of the recommendations contained in the ‘Special Report on Teachers Leave Fares’ carried out by the Committee this year.

SPC Secretariat Head, Bill Hamblin, tells Loop PNG that the committee views the current system as a failure.

“We’ve looked at teachers leave fares and why they weren’t delivered on time and the committee has recommended a completely new system.

“Our view is that it will never work the way it is,” Hamblin says.

Introducing a supplementary budget will be the major agenda on the National Government tick list.  

Treasury Minister Patrick Pruaitch last week confirmed that the Government will introduce a Supplementary Budget in this August Parliament sitting.

Pruaitch said the Government is closely monitoring the current economic condition and will table the budget before Parliament rises.

He was responding to questions from Goroka MP Bire Kimisopa on when the government will introduce a mini budget to help the country in this financial situation.

Speaking to the media outside the Waigani Court house today, Basil said this win is about democracy and respect for the constitution.

Basil made the comments soon after the high court ruled in favour of the Opposition’s application and ordered the Speaker to recall Parliament within 5 days, from today, to debate the no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister.

“We are talking about respect for the office of the Prime Minister, not you, the person occupying the position,” he said.