Grand Chief urges PM and Polye to tell truth

Source: The National, Tuesday 13th March 2012 GRAND Chief Sir Michael Somare has called on Peter O’Neill and his team not to shoot themselves in the foot by accusing past governments of doing nothing. “If the suggestion wasn’t so ridiculous it would be laughable,” he said. Sir Michael said O’Neill and others held senior positions in his government and were trying to fool Papua New Guineans that they had done this country a turnaround in the last couple of months. “For the records let me state that from 2002 until 2007, my government tightened its fiscal management and introduced its four policy pillars: improved governance, export-driven growth strategy; improved service delivery and poverty alleviation,” Sir Michael said. “The public may recall that in 2002, morale in PNG was at an all-time low. “We did not even have money to pay our public servants. I had inherited a government whose coffers were depleted from the kind of election spending that the O’Neill regime has been doing today. “We were so desperate that the World Bank even tried to lend money to us with strict conditions. “We refused but with the help of AusAID and the Asian Development Bank we started the Highlands Highway rehabilitation programme (between 2003 and 2004) from K50 million found internally. “We had to be creative as we had very few resources. We also relied on tax credit schemes where companies like Chevron (now Oil Search) were able to carry out initial works on the highway. As more money came in, more work was contracted out on other sections of the Highlands Highway. “With tight fiscal management and our export-driven strategy, we were able to offer private sector incentives that boosted the economy and effectively got this country back on her feet. “Our spending was conservative yet we increased our international debt repayments from 70% in 2002 to less than 30% today (public debt to GDP ratio).” He said many of the ministers who should be credited were still there today with O’Neill. “The emerging trend of members of parliament telling lies to the public should stop. We are leaders and our utterances should be responsible. “I call on members of parliament to be responsible and not speak rubbish during an election year.”