PNGBLOGS

  by SIMON TEMO In 2017, It was no surprise that James Marape has retain his seat in the Tari Pori electorate. However, given the circumstance surrounding rumors that the elections in Hela was rigged, there is now evidence surfacing that speaks volumes. Remember, numbers don't lie.  On an interview with EMTV on the 9th of July 2017, Marape himself claimed that he was declared on 50% majority on the first count, to be exact 30,192, which means that the total eligible voters for Tari Pori in 2017 election was about 60,000 plus. However, looking back on past elections, it appears the numbers don't add up. In 2007, total eligible voters for Tari Pori was 37,473. He scored 6,147 1st prefence votes to win (roughly 12% of the voters). In 2012, total voters were 40,039 of which he scored 13,661 of 1st preference votes (34% of the total votes). He went on to win with 18,258 after completion of elimination. From current results, it appears that the total voter population increased by 20,

by PAUL FLANAGAN The Final Budget Outcome provides surprisingly frank numbers on the O’Neill government’s inexcusably poor management of government revenues, expenditures and debt. This document confirms a budget deficit and debt blow-out during 2016. PNG has never before -even during much worse falls in commodity prices – had such an appalling string of huge budget deficits. The government has no credible path out of the budget mess. Deficit levels are getting larger, not smaller. PNG Treasury states the debt to GDP ratio is 32.6% and so exceeds the 30% limit set out in the Fiscal Responsibility Act (and using the GDP series when this benchmark was created, it is now 42.7% of GDP). As a result of the failure to manage this fiscal crisis, PNG’s debt in 2016 is 258% of its 2012 levels. This will be a painful legacy for  PNG’s future as little of the debt blow-out has been properly invested. The 2016 Supplementary Budget assumed that revenues would increase by K928 million

by PAUL FLANAGAN Executive Summary The 2016 Budget appears to have failed in its constitutional requirements to appropriate sufficient funding for the activities of government This includes servicing debt (amortization). The Opposition is correct to highlight the absurd differences between the 2016 and 2017 budgetary appropriations But the error appears to be in the 2016 budget One that was rushed through without the chance for adequate democratic scrutiny by the Opposition Holders of Government Bills and Bonds may now have to pay the price – as they did in the Kokopo Loans Affair And possibly the public more broadly. A Supplementary Budget should have been passed at the start of this week to correct the possible constitutional error that had already been pointed out to government by a local PNG analyst (my hat off to her – PNG needs more local analysis and women leaders such as this). In 2016, after allowing for the Supplementary Budget, only 56.7% of required expen