The country’s economy has grown by K30 billion in the last three years, despite having to go through a pandemic, said Pangu Pati leader and Prime Minister James Marape.
Speaking at a political rally in Port Moresby this week, PM Marape stated that the World Bank had announced that the country’s economy will hit K109 billion by the end of this year.
Marape elaborated that despite being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic over the last 3 and half hard years, his government used an economic tool “Deficit Budget Financing Strategy” to keep the country’s economy running.
Marape said over the last eight (8) years of People’s National Congress Party (PNC) led government, under Peter O’Neil when PNG LNG was flowing in 2014 and the people of this country was suppose to be okay, Peter grew the country’s economy by K36 million with much more high outstanding loans to pay.
“When I became the Prime Minister the country’s economy grew by K30 billion in just 3 years.”
He said he is ready to challenge Peter O’Neil to a debate, to bring any 3 years of his time as Prime Minster and compare with his 3 years of developments and the status of the economy.
“Mi no kanaka man mi ranim country, maski papa blong me no skul man, mi skul na kisim save na mi laik ranim country long honest way, na rausim kantri long han blong ol greedy man.”
Marape further stressed that under the Pangu-led governments short tenure, they have built over 150 roads throughout the country, whilst Peter O’Neil was building roads in Port Moresby and Mt Hagen only over their eight years.
He also highlighted that Pangu had to come in and inject K140 million to fund the Lae roads which the O’Neil government proposed but never funded it.
“The last three and the half years were really hard years because our economy was really down, it got even worst when Covid hit the country however my government was able to pull the country’s economy through and stabilize the economy with the help of all the coalition partners.”
He reiterated that Pangu will continue strive to improve every citizen’s lives and economy through the five (5) main Pangu policies.
“Andanit long Pangu Save long Rot, mipla kamapim 5pla policies tasol na mipla bai deliverim long apim economy blong kantri”, said Marape.
“Under the policy we want to provide better health service and hospitals, better education services and system, better economy and better infrastructures to connect everyone in the country so we become one country and one nation.”