Richard Maru

Trade, Commerce and Industry Minister Richard Maru is optimistic many of the sitting Members of Parliament will be returned to form the government in July.    

“I have absolutely no doubt, PNC has 60 members (MPs), even if we lose half and 30 of the current members win, PNC will form the government again,” Maru told Loop PNG.

The local MP for Yangoru – Saussia is over confident that he had done enough to be given the mandate to return for his second term.       

Minister for Trade, Commerce and Industry Richard Maru told Loop PNG that candidates must campaign on their policies and not lies.    

 “I think we have to stand on policies, why are you standing, what will do, that somebody else won’t do,” the Yangoru Sausssia MP said.  

“That is what we must focus on, and not all the lies and propagandas like, PNC ‘salim kantri’ (sold the country), what do you mean by PNC salim kantri (sold the country)?  

Maru in an interview with Loop PNG said he had done more compared to past Yangoru – Saussia Members of Parliament.  

“I think, I have a very good chance to return, the people have seen transformation (infrastructures and services delivery) not seen in the last 40 years.”

Maru said within his five year reign, more roads were constructed linking villages not connected by road before.

That is the guarantee from Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister, Richard Maru.

Maru is the local Member for Yangoru-Saussia Electorate, the location of the SEZ Project in East Sepik Province.

He said the project will start at Kanuki, which is a State land.

“Government is not interested in buying your land; we want to empower you to engage in business opportunities,” Maru said.

He appealed to his people not to believe rumours on social media that the government will take all their land.  

That is the clarification from Trade, Commerce and Industry Minister, Richard Maru.

The SEZ project is located in Minister Maru’s Yangoru-Saussia District in East Sepik.   

“Finance has all the records, they decide and sign all the cheques, so all the cheques that go out, Finance gives the authorisation, (and) are the ones doing the acquittals,” Maru responded to a question from Loop PNG.

“It’s not that the funds are in an account that we control, the funds are in a trust account that the Finance (Department) controls.”

“We have more than reasonable grounds to suspect that widespread transfer pricing by rice importers are inflating the price of rice to our consumers, depriving the State of revenues by keeping revenues off-shore and are draining our Forex (Foreign Reserve),” Minister for Trade, Commerce and Industry, Richard Maru, said. 

“The Department studied the quoted global prices of rice compared to the rice being imported into PNG and discovered irreconcilable discrepancies.

Maru said both legislations are awaiting National Executive Council approval which he says he has spoken to Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill, about to make it an agenda.

The Minister responded to Mendi MP, Dei Kewanu, who enquired on the status of the legislations.

“I’m happy to inform this Parliament that both legislations are now awaiting NEC approval.

Maru said today in Parliament that he received a letter from Fiji’s Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Faiyaz Siddiq Koya this morning.

“I can confirm now, this morning I received an official letter from the Minister of Trade for Fiji dated 23^rd of March, confirming Fiji has now lifted the ban on imports of ox and palm, rice, and biscuits. Its been a long battle and I’m thankful that the Fiji government has come good and I also on behalf of our own country and government thank the Fiji government for finally doing the right thing.

Minister for Trade, Commerce and Industry Richard Maru confirmed a letter had already been written to the Fiji Government three weeks ago about the delay in the decision after a fact finding trip to Port Moresby and Lae by a Fiji delegate.

Minister Maru said his department is following protocol to get a response. 

 “We are not happy with the delay and have summoned the Fiji High Commissioner in Fiji to chase it up with them.”

Minister for Trade, Commerce and industry Richard Maru confirmed that building of infrastructures to house 10 tuna processing plants to process tuna caught in PNG waters had been delayed because the timeframe for the drawdown of the loans secured in 2011 lapsed.

“Loan had expired and also the cost had increased because of the delay, officials have been working with Exim Bank to provide us with a new loan to draw down and commence the construction.