PNG Government

Acting Secretary, Kepsy Puiye, says this has resulted in a lack of efficiency and coherence.

“We have serious issues in terms of our capacity, in terms of our human resources, in terms of infrastructure needs.

“On the other hand, you will find that the industry demands the best or demands a lot from us.

“And they have the right to demand that because they are investing billions of dollars into our country.”

Kepsie said improving their capacity is one of the major dilemmas he currently faces.

Acting Secretary of the Department of Petroleum and Energy, Kepsy Puiye, said this during the signing ‘Improving Resource Related Revenue Management Project,’ between the PNG Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (PNG EITI and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Puiye said the project was timely give the expansions of resource projects in the country. He cited mining and petroleum as the expansion sectors.

The UNDAF outlines the partnership between PNG and the UN in delivering the ‘Sustainable Development Goals’, consistent with existing national development priorities.

The agreement was signed today by Minister for National Planning and

 Monitoring and Acting Minister for Public Investment and State Enterprise, Charles Abel, and UNDP Resident Coordinator Roy Trivedy.

Minister Abel expressed gratitude on behalf of the government for the work of the UN and said there is continuous learning from the experiences learnt thus far.

Two finance agreements worth K570.4 million have been signed between the PNG Government and the European Union for water and sanitation projects as well as a capacity building project.

The agreements pave the way for funding of the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WaSH) Part 1 program, and capacity building of the National Authorizing Office (NAO).

The definition of wealth, he says, is when people are rich, self-reliant and have improved living standards.

However, the Government keeps on borrowing money to repay loans while funding projects at the same time, claims the former prime minister.

He says we need good leaders who can lead during these difficult times and into the future.

Sir Julius made these remarks on Tuesday, during the launching of Kavieng district’s ward trucks, tractors and cooking ovens at the Kopkop showground.

Failure to do so will result in them (landowners) shutting down the LNG plant at the Hides in Tari, Hela Province.

The landowners from the PNG LNG beneficiary groups came together in the last two days and signed a petition to government.

They presented the petition to Deputy Prime Minister Leo Dion who accepted on behalf of the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill today.

The landowners demanded that their outstanding payments be paid including their 4.27% equity.

The revised tax will come into effect on January 1^st 2017 and is one of the tax policy measures to be introduced by the Government as a revenue consolidation measure.

Departure tax is charged on ticket fares bought by passengers leaving PNG, either by air or sea, to foreign destinations.

Travel agents are then required to remit collections to IRC on the 21^st day of the following month of purchases.

Government estimates project GST to haul in K1,484.7 million (K1.5 billion) of the overall Tax on Goods and Services predicted revenue of K2,762.2 million (K2.8 billion).

The Tax on Goods and Services will also comprise of K691.1 million in Excise Duty, Import Excise of K300.3 million and K180.5 million in Gaming Machine Turnover Tax.

The Government states that the gradual increase in commodity prices and in the agriculture and mining sector in 2017 are expected to support income and spending on goods and services in the economy.

Speaking to a huge crowd in Jimi, Jiwaka Province, last Friday, Opposition Leader Don Polye says the former government was denied acknowledgement on the foundation work laid for PNG’s major infrastructure developments.

He outlined that the following work realised were the result of his strategies;

Opposition members today in a conference confidently told reporters that they will be filing another motion of the vote of no-confidence against Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.

Leader of the Opposition Don Polye said they will never go to sleep until O’Neill is removed.

“We will not rest until this corrupt government is gone,” said Polye.

The Government’s actions were being monitored and were now on the ‘roof top’. Polye said the Opposition has been increasing in numbers and will increase further as MPs will be moving to their side to fight this “monster”.