A Sign of Economic Meltdown Looming Courtesy of O’Neil Regime.
This article stems from Sunday Chronicle (July 26 2015) titled “Budget Cut and East Sepik to lose K276 million in 2016”. According to the above article, public machinery in ESP is into crisis management mood to make adjustments and take drastic steps with stringent measures to cut back on unnecessary expenditure and tighten up in readiness for 2016 budget cut.
The article merely featured East Sepik Province; however, same is true with the other provinces in the country. Yet, intriguingly, nothing much is heard from the respective provincial administrations and perhaps waiting for the dream rainfall.
Should K276 million cut in reality is somewhat true for all provinces, it is to the tune of K6 billion plus. We don’t know yet how many national departments and state institutions will have their share of the cut in 2016 budget. It was also speculated that DSIP will also suffer cut courtesy of this ruthless totalitarian regime. The predictability of unprecedented cut is a sign of impending economic doom and gloom. There won’t be any better warning for stringent measures and drastic actions than this. Should action need taken, this is the time and there is no better time than today.
An academia from one of the premier institution in the country echoed an alarm that university might not envisage the academic year end as anticipated. He further asserted, he doesn’t know about other sister institutions but in the university’s balance sheet, can’t but just about enough for wages and salary.
A speculation of rumour from within the corridors of Waigani rings an alarm bell that government has cash flow shortcoming and merely maintaining wages for public service machinery in the country. Critiques may brush aside the rumour as mere hypothetical but it may potentially emanate from a reliable source and can be fatal should not heeded.
Prediction of 2016 budget cut in millions doesn’t sound fair and economically irresponsible and scaremongering. Potentially we have tough economic times ahead but responsible agencies are knowingly maintaining a tight-lip because of backlash or retribution from the ruthless totalitarian regime.
Already commoners are feeling the effect of economic meltdown if you like and struggling to keep the head above waters to make the ends meet. People are pretending and living fake life. Disparity between the haves and have nots is evident on the streets of Port Moresby. The owners of oil, gas, precious metals, forest, marine life, etc, are left high and dry on their own turf. Under this ruthless totalitarian regime, breath and length of the country stands to lose in real big time.
The predictability of 2016 budget cut is economically unsound and not prudent economic management of country’s wealth. This is insanity at best of a ruthlessly totalitarian government embarking on suicidal spending in the pretext of building infrastructure. Unprecedented spending is an economic blunder and indicative of wickedly corrupt regime on the driver’s seat.
Not to name names but take a moment or two and stock take the retinue of so-called prominent advisors to the government. Apparently, check the background of names that come to the fore. Adding to the despair, headed by master of fraud at the helm and his lieutenant Ministers and Governors, competing to become overnight tycoons from project kickbacks likened of an analogy of pack of hungry wolfs hastily converging on an animal carcass.
Since this ruthless totalitarian regime came into power, out spoken trade union personality John Paska has all time gone into complete silence. Student leaders who typically become the voice of the silent majority seemingly are in the government’s payroll or otherwise bought off. Government departments and state agencies are under immense scrutiny and can’t afford to say a word or two of mismanagement of country’s economy against this ruthlessly totalitarian regime. Worryingly, media outlets are nagged by the ruthless totalitarian regime not to make negative remarks or publish comments from anti-government or opposition’s outburst that would tarnish the good look image.
Under the leadership of Hon. Don Pomb Polye, opposition is fighting tooth and nail to expose and alienate corruption. Indeed opposition with the help of few like-minded, as the needle is to the pole, taking the bull by the horn, a mammoth task so to speak. Papua New Guinea is bigger than any politician or an individual. We shouldn’t stand on the sideline and spectate whilst perpetrators of fraud, haphazardly at will, looting from peoples’ wealth. Only a minority few standing tall against the barrage of this ruthless totalitarian regime’s tactics to stay the cause of justice or derail justice at all cost so that there is continuity of indulgence in corruption.
At the business end of the day, seven (7) million plus people of this country will be the losers in big time. The writing is clear on the wall. We can’t pretend for long. When the reality kicks in, it will be too late, too little. It requires consorted effort and every citizens, whether you be a politician, top bureaucrat, member of judiciary or justice sector, member of a discipline force, an academia, clergy or religious grouping, public servant, private sector, a street sweeper, a student or a commoner to participate in meaningful engagements for the common good of the masses . The impending economic doom and gloom will not segregate one group from another. Unsound management and reckless spending of country’s economy will have no respect for men and women in blue, green and brown uniform, an academia, top bureaucrat, religious sec or a commoner. Time to stand up and be counted for a noble cause.
Late William B. Skate has passed on. Sir Mekere and Namaliu are out on the political scene. However, three former Prime Ministers are currently in this term of Parliament and it saddens me to envisage their allegiance to this ruthlessly totalitarian regime and same is true with MPs who are active members Christian faiths. Knowingly should you steadfastly prop wickedly corrupt regime and pretend to maintain innocence with some measure of truth and yet distort for your own end, it is intentional and you may escape now but the level of the known truth, double portion of the imminent wrath is inevitable for failing moral obligation in that position of responsibility not championing the course of voiceless and defenseless.
